Industrial Laundry - Occupational Hazards

Occupational Hazards

The most common accidents in industrial laundries involve chemical exposure, sharp objects left in soiled linen, slips from wet floors, exposure to pathogens in contaminated linen, and body parts being stuck in machinery. While these problems can usually be avoided by standard precautions and a little common sense, they can and do happen. Production workers have a saying: "Common sense isn't that common."

Exposure to soil and pathogens can be limited by two things. One, of course, is the use of personal protective equipment: barrier gowns, gloves, eyewear, foot coverings and face masks. These items should be worn when handling soiled linen. Infections can also be eliminated by proper hand-washing with antibacterial soap. Employees should wash their hands after handling any linen, whether soiled or clean.

Since the noise levels in industrial laundries can be quite high, earmuffs and disposable earplugs are often issued. Hearing protection is essential.

Exposure to chemicals is also common. Since washers require a constant stream of detergent, bleach and other chemicals, the supply must be constantly replenished. Laundries are required to provide a material safety data sheet, or MSDS, for all chemicals used in the facility. Many laundries require their machine operators to be familiar with HAZMAT, if not fully certified.

With the constant workload and harsh working conditions, employees can easily become short-tempered. This occasionally leads to problems with violence and workplace bullying. For this reason, laundry managers must be competent disciplinarians, ready to deal with employees who have attitude problems.

Laundry machines use high-pressure steam and dangerous chemicals. Poor maintenance can cause injuries such as severe burns and chemical exposures. Hoses, steam lines and other machine parts must be checked and replaced regularly.