Staff Profiles: Laundry Department

Emile Waked

A little known department in AUB is the Laundry, tucked away on lower campus—perhaps an odd location for a department that collaborates mainly with the Medical Center. Relocated to lower campus in 1965, the department is dedicated to keeping the University and especially the Medical Center supplied with clean linen and uniforms.

Two trucks transport laundry from the Medical Center to the Laundry Building for sorting according to type by employees dressed in protective uniforms to avoid contamination from the soiled sheets, uniforms, and various articles of clothing. The soiled linen is then washed in massive (200 kg capacity) washing machines. After drying it is ironed in flat work ironers, folded, organized, and returned to the Medical Center. On an average day, the Laundry Department handles about 5,000 to 7,000 kg of laundry, and nearly 11,000 uniforms a month. Laundry employees work hard on their feet for most hours of the working day to ensure that the Medical Center is supplied with needed linen.

This process is conducted six days a week, under the careful supervision of Emile Waked, who has been in charge of the Laundry Department for nearly seven years. He highlighted the responsibilities of the department, stressing its adherence to Joint Commission International (JCI) standards.

Waked described some risks associated with the job:  needle pricks, infections from contaminated clothes, and back pain suffered by the employees from their demanding hours. Despite the hazards, Waked affirmed that the department is eager to adhere to JCI standards and keep the patients’ best interests at heart. He also pointed out that the Laundry Department receives laundry not only from the Medical Center, but from such campus venues as the Charles W. Hoslter Student Center and the Physical Plant.

Waked revealed that among the ongoing projects of the department is supplying the Medical Center with fire retardant cubicle curtains for all patient beds.