Laundry

Risk of:

• Infection e.g. Legionnaires' disease.
• Skin, eye or respiratory sensitisation.

Possible causes:

• Exposure to biological agents via contaminated laundry or contaminated water aerosols.
• Exposure to proteolytic enzymes in detergents.

Risk of:

• Latex allergy.
• Dermatitis.
• Respiratory problems.

Possible causes:

• Exposure to latex consumables, soaps, detergents and solvents.
• Breathing fumes such as chlorine hypochlorite, ammonia and sulphur dioxide.
• Exposure to asbestos in old buildings.
• Exposure to cytotoxic drugs and radionuclides via contaminated laundry.

Risk of:

• Burns.
• Electric shock.
• Death.
• Fire.

Possible causes:

• Lack of equipment maintenance.
• Handling sockets or equipment with wet hands.
• Ingress of water into equipment.

Risk of:

• Entrapment.
• Explosion.
• Crushing.
• Physical injury.
• Death.

Possible causes:

• Contact with unguarded machines e.g. folding machine.
• Defective guards or interlocks.
• Fingers stuck in clamps or caught in corners or folds of sheets on sheet feeders or spreaders on calenders.
• Inadequately maintained steam boiler.

Risk of:

• Musculoskeletal disorders.

Possible causes:

• Lifting, transporting or folding laundry.
• Loading and unloading washing machines and dryers.
• Sorting soiled laundry.
• Receiving and weighing laundry.
• Overfilled bags.

Risk of:

• Burns.
• Smoke inhalation.
• Death.

Possible causes:

• Faulty equipment e.g. overheating.
• Overloaded sockets.
• Blocked fire exits.

Risk of:

• Heat stress.
• Burns.

Possible causes:

• Excessive humidity.
• Lack of job rotation, breaks or water consumption.
• Inadequately insulated steam and hot water pipes.

Risk of:

• Cuts or puncture wounds.
• Infection.

Possible causes:

• Exposure to needles, knives or blades folded in soiled laundry.

Risk of:

• Minor injuries such as cuts to major injuries such as broken bones, concussion and even death.

Possible causes:

• Wet floors.
• Poor housekeeping.
• Trailing cables.

Risk of:

• Hearing damage or loss.
• Physiological effects.
• Work related stress.
• Increased risk of accidents.

Possible causes:

• Prolonged exposure to noisy equipment.

For further information on related controls click here.