Laundry Safety. © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006 Session Objectives Identify laundry...

Laundry Safety

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Session ObjectivesIdentify laundry hazards

Prevent exposure to infectious materials

Avoid MSDs

Prevent heat stress

Take precautions against slips, trips, and falls

Avoid harmful exposures to other safety and health hazards

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Prequiz:True or False?

You only have to worry about a few hazards working in the laundry.

There’s not much you can do to protect yourself from heat stress.

When you lift a heavy object, you should use your leg muscles to power the lift.

You don’t need any special protection when bagging or sorting laundry.

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Laundry Hazards• Bloodborne pathogens

• Back injuries

• Heat stress

• Slips, trips, and falls

• Skin irritation

• Burns

• Noise

• Machine hazards

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Bloodborne Pathogens

Universal precautions—Treat all laundry contaminated with blood, urine, or other potentially infectious materials as if it is infectious.

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

• Always use universal precautions

• Wear gloves

• Report contact with blood

Bloodborne Pathogens (cont.)

• Always use universal precautions

• Wear gloves

• Report contact with blood

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Bagging Contaminated Laundry• Wear gloves

• Bag where used

• Use leakproof bags

• Use biohazard bags or labels

• Don’t hold bags close to body

• Always assume sharps are present

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

• Wear gloves

• Don’t sort or rinse where used

• Keep separate from other laundry

• Handle as little as possible

Sorting and Washing Contaminated Laundry

Photo courtesy of Globalindustrial.com

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Sorting and Washing Contaminated Laundry (cont.)

• Watch out for sharps

• Keep out of clean areas

• Use appropriate cycles

• Wash hands thoroughly

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Preventing MSDs• Avoid awkward reaching

• Keep work waist high

• Squat—don’t bend

• Support your back

• Turn—don’t twist

• Keep back straight

• Take short stretch breaks

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Safe LiftingSafe Lifting

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Squat down

Keep back straight

Lift with legs

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Which of the following is a laundry hazard?

Slips and falls

Bloodborne pathogens

Heat

MSDs

Laundry products

Machines

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Do you understand:

• Laundry hazards?

• Universal precautions?

• Safe procedures for handling contaminated laundry?

• MSD risks and prevention?

• Safe lifting technique?

ReviewDo you understand:

• Laundry hazards?

• Universal precautions?

• Safe procedures for handling contaminated laundry?

• MSD risks and prevention?

• Safe lifting technique?

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Heat Stress• Heat fatigue

• Heat rash

• Fainting

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Heat Stress (cont.)

• Heat exhaustion

• Heatstroke

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

6 Ways to PreventHeat Stress• Acclimate

• Dress light

• Drink lots

• Use ventilation

• Pace yourself

• Take breaks in a cool place

• Don’t take salt tablets

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Slips, Trips, and Falls• Keep floors dry

• Wear the right shoes

• Stand on mats

• Be careful on wet surfaces

• Clean up spills

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Slips, Trips, and Falls (cont.)

• Pick up fallen objects

• Watch where you’re going

• Don’t block walkways

• Make sure you can see over loads

• Use a ladder or stepstool

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Skin Protection• Irritation

• Burns

• MSDS

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Sound• Loud sound can cause

hearing damage

• Symptoms:• Ringing in ears

• Trouble hearing people, TV

• Trouble hearing certain sounds

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Machines

• Loading and unloading

• Machine guards

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Water

Match hazards to precautions below.

Wet floors

Sound

Machine Injury

Skin irritation

Heat Stress

Nonslip shoes

Earplugs

Gloves

Machine guards

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Do you understand:

• Heat stress and how to prevent it?

• Slip, trip, and fall hazards and prevention?

• Skin protection?

• Sound hazards and hearing protection?

• Machine safety?

Do you understand:

• Heat stress and how to prevent it?

• Slip, trip, and fall hazards and prevention?

• Skin protection?

• Sound hazards and hearing protection?

• Machine safety?

Review

© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Key Points to Remember

Working in the laundry exposes you to a variety of hazards.

Risks include both safety and health hazards.

Be aware of potential hazards and keep alert to protect your safety and health.

Taking simple precautions can prevent injuries and illness.