Managing risk within laundries

Many establishments operate in-house laundry facilities for the cleaning of clothing, bedding, towels, table cloths, cleaning cloths, etc.

Laundry operations can present a number of risks, including:

• Fire – caused by electrical fault, overheating, and even spontaneous combustion
• Water damage – from accidental discharge, burst pipes, failed joints in pipework
• Health and safety – slips on wet floors, manual handling, burns, and scalds

Whilst these risks are present, if they are appropriately identified and managed, they can be greatly reduced or even avoided.

To assist you in managing the risk in your laundry, we have created some risk management guidance. This guidance is aimed at general laundry facilities, for example, those involving washing, drying, pressing, and ironing; it does not cover dry cleaning operations.