Laundry Safety Session Objectives Identify laundry hazards Prevent

Laundry Safety

Session Objectives Identify 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

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

Sorting and Washing Contaminated Laundry • Wear gloves • Don’t sort or rinse where used • Keep separate from other laundry • Handle as little as possible © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006 Photo courtesy of Globalindustrial. com

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 Lifting 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

Review Do 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

Heat Stress (cont. ) • Heat exhaustion • Heatstroke © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

6 Ways to Prevent Heat 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

Machines • Loading and unloading • Machine guards © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Match hazards to precautions below. Wet floors Water Sound Gloves Machine Injury Nonslip shoes Skin irritation Earplugs Heat Stress Machine guards © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006

Review 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? © 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. © Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 1006