Service Area Strategic Plan
11/23/2009   4:53 am
Department of Health (601)
Biennium: 2008-10
Service Area 1 of 1
Bedding and Upholstery Inspection (601 565 03)
Description

This service area implements the Regulations for Bedding and Upholstered Furniture Inspection Program. The purpose of this service area is to protect Virginia consumers from diseases and insect pests spread through contaminated bedding and upholstered furniture.
Products and services include:
Issuing permits to bedding and upholstered manufacturers, re-upholsterers, bedding renovators, sanitizers, importers, distributors and supply dealers.
Customer service to citizens making complaints regarding any of the regulated entities.
Inspection of bedding and upholstered furniture manufacturers, bedding renovators and re-upholsterers and sanitizers.
Background Information
Mission Alignment and Authority
  • Describe how this service supports the agency mission
    This service area directly aligns with VDH’s mission to promote and protect public health by enforcing requirements that bedding and upholstered furniture are made from appropriate, clean materials and requirements that used items be cleaned and sanitized before being sold to another consumer.
  • Describe the Statutory Authority of this Service
    §§ 32.1-212 through 32.1-226, 32.1-25, and 59.1-200 of the Code of Virginia provides the State Health Commissioner with the authority to promulgate regulations and set standards, from a public health perspective, for the licensing of new bedding and upholstered furniture being sold in the Commonwealth. Cleanliness and labeling of used bedding and upholstered furniture, and inspection of facilities dealing in used products is defined, and guidelines, provided in these sections.
Customers
Agency Customer Group Customer Customers served annually Potential annual customers
Licensed Bedding Manufacturers 850 935
Licensed Bedding Renovators 9 9
Licensed Distributors 30 30
Licensed Furniture Reupholsterers 410 410
Licensed Importers of Bedding & Upholstered Furniture 1,253 1,378
Licensed Supply Dealers 96 96
Licensed Upholstered Manufacturers 930 949
Permitted Sanitizers 1,005 1,055

Anticipated Changes To Agency Customer Base
Since manufacturing of bedding and upholstered furniture has become a world-wide industry, the licensee base will only grow as more countries become active in this industry.

Manufacturing of bedding and furniture is decreasing in the United States. It is anticipated that foreign sources will continue to appear in order to meet consumers’ needs.
Partners
Partner Description
[None entered]
Products and Services
  • Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
    The bedding and upholstered furniture staff consists of two full-time staff who administer the program and four part-time staff who conduct inspections.

    Pursuant to a 2003 amendment to § 32.1-224 of the Code of Virginia, staff is limited to conducting inspections of licensed or permitted facilities only upon receipt of a complaint. However, if conditions are such that a complaint is necessary, it is generally too late to prevent any contamination of product or sale of dirty or unsanitized used articles. Prior to this statutory change, VDH was authorized to perform rountine inspections.

    The program is totally self supported by license fees and does not require any general revenue funds to operate.
  • Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
    No changes anticipated
  • Listing of Products and/or Services
    • Issuance of permits to bedding and upholstered furniture manufacturers, renovators, re-upholsterers, importers, distributors and supply dealers.
    • Inspection of bedding and upholstered furniture manufacturers, renovators, re-upholsterers, importers, distributors and supply dealers upon complaint from a citizen.
    • Enforcement of laws and regulations governing bedding and upholstered furniture.
    • Customer service to citizens filing complaints regarding any of the regulated entities.
Finance
  • Financial Overview
    The annual appropriation for the Bedding and Upholstered Furniture Inspection Program is completely comprised of Non-General funds. License and permit fees are collected from bedding manufacturers, upholstered furniture manufacturers, bedding renovators, furniture reupholsterers, importers of bedding and upholstered furniture, distributors and supply dealers. The majority of these fees are paid by out of state or out of country entities.
  • Financial Breakdown
    FY 2009    FY 2010
      General Fund     Nongeneral Fund        General Fund     Nongeneral Fund  
    Base Budget $0 $260,872    $0 $260,872
    Change To Base $0 $0    $0 $0
               
    Service Area Total   $0  $260,872     $0  $260,872 
Human Resources
  • Human Resources Overview
    [Nothing entered]
  • Human Resource Levels
    Effective Date      
    Total Authorized Position level Ø    
    Vacant Positions Ø    
    Current Employment Level 0.0    
    Non-Classified (Filled)    
    Full-Time Classified (Filled)    breakout of Current Employment Level
    Part-Time Classified (Filled)    
    Faculty (Filled)    
    Wage    
    Contract Employees    
    Total Human Resource Level 0.0   = Current Employment Level + Wage and Contract Employees
  • Factors Impacting HR
    [Nothing entered]
  • Anticipated HR Changes
    [Nothing entered]
Service Area Objectives
 
  • Protect public health through licensure and inspection of bedding and upholstered furniture establishments.
    Objective Description
    Licensure and inspection activities are performed in order to protect and promote public health through prevention and elimination of bed bugs. Each such entity must be licensed to sell their products in Virginia. Their product must carry an acceptable Law Label with name and Uniform Registry number identification. The Law Label also must identify the contents, by percentage, of the concealed stuffing. Each manufacturing plant from which products are sent to Virginia must be individually licensed. VDH inspectors respond to complaints, and inspect retail stores and businesses to achieve compliance with the Commonwealth Bedding & Upholstered Furniture Law.
    Objective Strategies
    • Daily inspection of unlicensed secondhand dealers in bedding and upholstered furniture.
    • Training secondhand dealers in sanitizing procedures, purpose, and use of law labels.
    • Test used products to determine if treated properly.
    • Contact to be made by inspector with complainant to determine validity of complaint. Contact by inspector with retailer concerning complaint. Inspector or office to seek resolution of complaint by licensing, or taking contaminated product off sale.
    • Achieve licensure of all bedding and upholstered furniture manufacturers, mattress renovators, furniture re-upholsterers, supply dealers, importers and sanitizers in the Commonwealth.
    Objective Measures
    • Timeliness of Response to Consumer Complaints
      Measure Class:
      Other
      Measure Type:
      Outcome
      Measure Frequency:
      Annual
      Preferred Trend:
      Up
      Measure Baseline Value:
      90
      Date:
      6/20/2005

      Measure Baseline Description: Percent of all complaints that were responded to within three working days

      Measure Target Value:
      95
      Date:
      6/30/2010

      Measure Target Description: Percent of all complaints that were responded to within three working days

      Data Source and Calculation: From office records of complaints, calculate the percentage of consumer complaints responded to within three working days of receipt.


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