The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) oversees a variety of workplace standards including sanitation of laundry services. You need to make sure that you are following their guidelines, particularly if your facility has laundry that could be considered contaminated. Contaminated laundry is defined by OSHA as any fabric material, including uniforms and linens, that has come in contact with blood, other potentially infectious material, or that may contain sharps.
At T & L Laundry Equipment we know that meeting OSHA guidelines is no easy task. Luckily, our commercial product lineup from Speed Queen makes it easy to hit the mark every time. With various capacities and some of the hottest dryers in the industry, Speed Queen and T & L Laundry Equipment will make sanitizing your linens a breeze.
Some of the most important of the federally based laws that deal with the handling of laundry are:
- Laundry should be placed and transported in leak-proof bags that must be marked with the biohazard sign.
- Bags should be handled as little as possible, and gloves should always be worn when they are being handled.
- Contaminated laundry should not be sorted or rinsed where it was used.
- Employees need to follow Bloodborne Pathogens training and procedures.
- Do not squeeze laundry bags or hold them close to your body while carrying them to minimize the risk of being stuck by any needles that may be mixed in with laundry.
- Laundry can be done using regular wash cycles. Simply follow the manufacturer's recommendations for your machine.
- Employees should be wearing protective equipment when handling contaminated laundry.
- Gloves, gowns, face shields/masks should be worn when sorting laundry.
- Thick gloves should be used and can be washed for reuse if the glove is still in good condition. Gloves may not be torn, punctured, cracked, or peeling. Throw them away if they are compromised at all.
- Disposable gloves may not be reused for any reason.
There is a possibility of being exposed to bloodborne pathogens because the laundry may contain sharps. These are the safety and health procedure that should be followed:
- The needles and sharps should not be recapped, bent or removed.
- They should be discarded in containers that are correctly labeled.
- These containers should be located wherever needles may be found, including laundry rooms.
Other hazards to consider:
Chemicals: Make sure there are no unlabeled chemicals. Never mix supplies that contain ammonia and chlorine as they make a deadly gas when mixed. Due to the caustic nature of some chemicals, it is important to have a nearby area for flushing the skin and/or eyes.
Noise exposure: Some machines can be very loud which means they have the potential to cause hearing loss. Provide hearing protection, such as earplugs or headphones to decrease noise exposure.
Heat Exhaustion: Employees working in laundries are exposed to high heat volume and are candidates for heat stroke and exhaustion. Make sure there is proper ventilation and exhaust, spot cooling fans, air conditioning, and plenty of drinking water available.
Lifting/Pushing: Have employees use carts to move laundry. This will help keep leaks contained as well as prevent puncture injuries. When needing to lift items, consider a spring loaded platform or a washer that has an automatic empty feature. Ensure that you check federal, state and local laws which may extend above OSHA guidelines.
Searching for Electrolux Dealers NC? Consider Speed Queen and Continental First!
If you want to buy equipment for a new facility or replace your old commercial washers and dryers, call T & L Laundry Equipment. We're not Electrolux dealers NC, but we are the top Speed Queen and Continental dealers. We’ve been around for 40 years, so we can give you valuable advice on the best equipment for your laundromat. We know that purchasing industrial dryers and commercial washers in North Carolina is no small investment, so were are here to make it easier. Make the choice to partner with T & L so you can have access to the best commercial laundry equipment on the market.
