Working in the laundry may expose you to a variety of hazards. Wet floors can cause slips and falls. Heat can wear you down and affect your safety and health. Handling laundry contaminated with infectious materials can make you sick.

Today, we’re going to talk about the hazards you face on the job as well as the steps you can take to protect your safety and health and prevent accidents, injuries, and illness.

Session Objectives

The main objective of this session is to make sure you understand the hazards involved in your job and the precautions you need to take to keep safe and healthy. By the time the session is over, you should be able to:

• Identify laundry hazards;
• Prevent exposure to infectious materials;
• Avoid musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs;
• Prevent heat stress;
• Take precautions against slips, trips, and falls; and
• Avoid harmful exposures to other safety and health hazards.

Prequiz: True or False?

Before we begin the session, let’s take a few minutes to see how much you already know about laundry safety. Decide which of the statements on the screen are true or false.

• You only have to worry about a few hazards working in the laundry. – This is false.
• There’s not much you can do to protect yourself from heat stress. – This is false.
• When you lift a heavy object, you should use your leg muscles to power the lift. – This is true.
• You don’t need any special protection when bagging or sorting laundry. – This is false.

How did you do? Did you get all the answers right?

If not, don’t worry. You’ll have the chance to learn more about these issues and other important safety and health information during the session.

Laundry Hazards

Working in the laundry can expose you to a variety of hazards. Can you identify some of the hazards you might encounter on the job? Take a moment and give it some thought. Here are some of the hazards we identified:

• Bloodborne pathogens and other infectious materials from handling contaminated laundry;
• Back injuries and other MSDs from lifting, carrying, bending, and other activities that require physical exertion or repetitive motions;
• Heat stress due to high humidity and heat;
• Slips, trips, and falls due to moist and slippery floors;
• Skin irritation from strong detergents and other cleaning products;
• Burns from hot equipment;
• High sound levels due to operating equipment; and
• Machine hazards.

We’ll talk more about each of these hazards during the session.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Let’s begin with bloodborne pathogens, since this is potentially the most serious risk you face. Unprotected contact with bloodborne pathogens can cause human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, or hepatitis infections.

• The rule for protecting yourself against bloodborne pathogens is called universal precautions. Taking universal precautions means treating all laundry contaminated with blood, urine, or other potentially infectious materials as if it is infected.

Bloodborne Pathogens

• Since, in many cases, you might not be able to tell if laundry has been contaminated with infectious materials, the safest course of action is to use universal precautions with all laundry you handle.
• Taking universal precautions means you should always wear gloves when handling laundry. Disposable gloves may be sufficient, but for some jobs, thick utility gloves can provide better protection. In some cases, you might also need to wear other protection, such as a combination of disposable gloves under utility gloves.
• You should also report any discovery or contact with blood or other potentially infectious material to your supervisor right away.

Do you take universal precautions when required?

Bagging Contaminated Laundry

OSHA defines “contaminated laundry” as laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials or that may contain sharps. You should follow these special safety rules when bagging contaminated laundry.

• Wear gloves.
• Bag contaminated laundry at the location where it was used.
• Whenever contaminated laundry is wet and could soak through or leak from the bag, place the laundry in leakproof bags or containers.
• The bags or containers you use for contaminated laundry should also be labeled with the biohazard symbol. Red bags indicating biohazard are also acceptable. OSHA permits alternative labeling or color coding in facilities that use universal precautions for all laundry if it permits all employees to recognize the containers as requiring compliance with universal precautions.
• Don’t hold bags of contaminated laundry close to your body or squeeze them when transporting them. This rule helps avoid punctures from improperly discarded sharps.
• Always assume sharps may be present—even something as small as a toothpick in a shirt pocket can puncture the skin.

Sorting and Washing Contaminated Laundry

There are also special safety rules for sorting and washing contaminated laundry. Once again:

• Wear gloves.
• Don’t sort or rinse laundry at the location where it was used.
• Keep potentially contaminated laundry separate from other laundry.
• Handle contaminated laundry as little as possible with minimal agitation. For example, don’t shake out contaminated laundry; roll it up with the soiled side in.

Sorting and Washing Contaminated Laundry (cont.)

• Watch out for sharps hidden in laundry. Put any you find in labeled biohazard sharps containers.
• Keep contaminated linens out of clean laundry areas.
• Use appropriate laundry cycles and follow manufacturer’s instructions for use of machines and detergents.
• And finally, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing gloves when you have been handling potentially contaminated laundry. Always wash before eating, drinking, smoking, using the toilet, or leaving the laundry area for a break or at the end of your shift.

Think about the rules you are required to follow when handling contaminated laundry.

Preventing MSDs

The key to preventing painful MSDs is to listen to your body and give it a break. MSDs result from overexertion and from putting too much stress on your body. Sure, your job involves a lot of hard physical work. But if you work smart, you can prevent MSDs. Here are some tips for working smart.

• Keep items you use regularly close at hand to avoid awkward reaching.
• Place your work on a surface that is about waist high to avoid stooping or bending.
• Squat down rather than bending when you have to reach something on the floor or in a low place.
• When you do have to bend, place your hand on a stable surface to support your back as you bend and rise.
• Turn your whole body rather than twist your torso or your neck.
• Stand with your back straight and your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
• Change positions every so often, and take short stretch breaks to relieve and relax tense muscles.

Safe Lifting

Since your job probably involves plenty of lifting, one of the primary ways you can avoid injuries is to lift correctly. Safe lifting is as easy as one, two, three.

1. Squat down close to the load and grip it firmly.
2. Keep your back comfortably straight.
3. Rise slowly, powering the lift with your leg muscles, not your back muscles.

Do you always use this safe lifting technique when you have to lift heavy objects? Doing so can prevent painful back injuries.

Exercise

Let’s take a few minutes to review laundry hazards with this exercise. Can you identify which of these you think is a laundry hazard?

• How did you do? Did you figure out that these are all hazards you might face working in the laundry?

Review

Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand all the information presented so far. For example, do you understand what we’ve said about:

• Laundry hazards?
• Universal precautions?
• Safe procedures for handling contaminated laundry?
• MSD risks and prevention?
• Safe lifting technique?

All this information is important. The more you know about laundry safety the safer you will be on the job.

Let’s continue now to the next slide and discuss heat stress.

Heat Stress

Working in a hot environment means that you face the risk of heat stress. There are various kinds of heat stress.

• Heat fatigue is a temporary state of discomfort and mental or psychological strain arising from prolonged heat exposure. Heat fatigue can cause a decline in work performance, coordination, and alertness, which makes it a safety hazard as well as a health hazard. New employees who are unaccustomed to working in the heat are particularly susceptible. Heat fatigue can be minimized by adjusting gradually to working in a hot environment.
• Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, is likely to occur in hot, humid work environments where you sweat a lot and your skin remains wet most of the time. Sweat ducts become plugged, and a skin rash develops. Prickly heat can be very uncomfortable. To prevent this condition, rest in a cool place part of each day, bathe regularly, and keep your skin as dry as possible.
• Fainting may occur when a worker who is not accustomed to heat stands without moving much for long periods while working. If you feel faint, lie down, and you should soon recover. You can reduce the risk of fainting by moving around a little from time to time instead of just standing in one place.

Heat Stress (cont.)

• Heat exhaustion is caused by large amounts of fluid lost from perspiring, sometimes with excessive loss of salt. Symptoms include extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea, or headache. The skin is clammy and moist, the complexion is pale or flushed, and body temperature is normal or only slightly elevated. First aid involves resting in a cool place and drinking plenty of liquids.
• And finally, heatstroke is the most serious problem associated with working in a hot environment. Heatstroke occurs when the body’s cooling system fails and sweating becomes inadequate. Heatstroke victims stop sweating and their skin becomes hot, usually dry, red, or spotted. Victims may be confused or delirious, may have convulsions, or may become unconscious. Victims of heatstroke can die unless they receive quick treatment. If you recognize heatstroke symptoms in a coworker, call 911 for immediate emergency medical assistance. While waiting for help to arrive, soak or hose the body with water, and fan.

Think about any problems you or your coworkers have experienced working in a hot environment. What did you to about them?

6 Ways to Prevent Heat Stress

Fortunately, awareness of potential problems and simple protective measures can prevent heat stress when you work in a hot environment.

• If you are new on the job, returning from vacation, or coming back after a prolonged absence, get used to working in a hot environment gradually. For most people, it takes the body about 7 days to adjust to working in the heat.
• Wear loose, lightweight clothing, if possible.
• Drinking plenty of fluids all day while working and after work as well, which helps replace fluids lost by sweating. Drink 5 to 7 ounces of fluids (preferably water) every 15 to 20 minutes while working. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink. Avoid drinking caffeine (and alcohol after work), which can actually make you more dehydrated.
• Use available ventilation such as fans, blowers, and windows to cool your work area.
• Pace yourself as you work to avoid overexertion and a rise in body temperature.
• Take your rest breaks in a cool place.
• Do not take salt tablets, because these can adversely affect your blood pressure levels.

If you start to feel symptoms of heat stress, tell your supervisor and move to a cool place to rest and drink fluids.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common workplace injuries. Your job makes you especially vulnerable to slips, trips, and falls, so you have to be really careful. Remember these prevention strategies:

• Keep floors as dry as possible;
• Wear shoes with nonslip soles;
• Stand on nonslip mats;
• Carefully place your feet when walking on wet surfaces; and
• Clean up spills right away.

Slips, Trips, and Falls (cont.)

Here are some other slip, trip, and fall prevention strategies:

• Pick up objects that drop on the floor;
• Watch where you’re going;
• Don’t leave bags, boxes, or other objects in walkways;
• Make sure you can see over any load you carry; and
• Use a ladder or stepstool to reach high places—don’t stand on a chair, cart, or work surface.

Do you take all these precautions to prevent slips, trips, and falls? A slip, trip, or fall could result in a serious injury.

Skin Protection

Now let’s talk a little bit about protecting your skin from hazards.

• Detergents, bleaches, and other laundry products can irritate your skin. That’s why you should always read the warnings on the labels. Wear gloves, long sleeves, long pants, and any other recommended protection to keep harsh substances off your skin. If you develop any rashes or other skin irritation, report the problem to your supervisor and seek proper treatment.
• The other skin hazard you have to watch out for is burns. Hot surfaces from laundry equipment can burn your skin. Very hot water or steam can also cause burns. Be careful while you work and keep alert to burn hazards.
• Be sure to check SDSs and labels of any hazardous substance you use on the job. This is where you can find information on the hazards of the substance and ways to protect yourself.

If you do get burned, run cold water over the burn area to relieve pain. After soaking, cover the area with a moist, sterile dressing from the first aid kit. Don’t rub burns or break blisters. Watch for infection and get proper treatment if the burn becomes infected. If a substance gets in your eyes, get to an eyewash station to flush your eyes immediately.

Think about the precautions you are currently taking to protect your skin from harsh laundry products and burns. Do you always read the label for warnings and safe use directions before using laundry products?

Sound

• Regular exposure to loud sound can cause hearing damage. If you work in an area where it is difficult to hear the spoken voice, you may be required to wear hearing protection due to elevated sound levels. For example, you may be assigned earplugs or earmuffs.
• Always wear the hearing protection you are assigned. Failure to do so could cause permanent hearing loss. Symptoms of hearing problems include:

– Ringing in the ears;

– Trouble hearing people talking or hearing the TV or radio; and

– Trouble hearing high or soft sounds. Do you always wear required hearing protection to minimize hazardous noise exposure?

Machines

Although the equipment you use on the job is designed with your safety in mind, you still have to be careful. Machines can be dangerous and injuries can be severe.

• When loading or unloading machines, make sure the machine is turned off and doors and covers are fully open.
• Make sure any machine guards or safety devices are working properly before starting equipment. Guards and safety devices are designed to keep your hands, fingers, and other body parts away from dangerous moving machine parts. Never disable or remove a machine guard or interlock. And report any missing or malfunctioning guards or interlocks to your supervisor. Don’t use a machine with missing safety equipment or a machine that is not working properly.

Think about the precautions you need to take when working with laundry machines.

Exercise

OK, let’s try this matching exercise now to see how much you remember about the information we’ve presented about laundry hazards and precautions. Your job is to match the hazards in the left column to the precautions in the right column.

Let’s review:

• Wet floors goes with nonslip shoes;
• Sound goes with earplugs;
• Machine injury goes with machine guards;
• Skin irritation goes with gloves; and
• Heat stress goes with water.

How did you do? Did you get them all right?

Review

Do you understand all the information we’ve covered in the previous slides? 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?

It’s important for you to understand all this information so that you can protect your safety and health on the job.

Now let’s continue to the next slide and conclude the session with some key points to remember.

Key Points to Remember

Here are the main points to remember from this session on laundry safety:

• Working in the laundry exposes you to a variety of hazards.
• Risks include both safety and health hazards.
• You must be aware of all potential hazards and keep alert while you work to protect your safety and health.
• Taking simple precautions can prevent injuries and illness.

This concludes the Laundry Safety training session.