Risk Management Tips for Dry Cleaners

There are several risks associated with laundry and dry-cleaning operations including fire, water damage, chemical use, and machinery breakdown, which if appropriately identified and managed can be greatly reduced or even avoided.

Adopting best practice and being prepared is the best way to minimise damage or loss should something happen. Below are a few things you can do to help protect your business.

• Ensure staff are fully trained in relation to potentional hazards
• Conduct regular checks on all machinery
• Test and tag all electrical equipment
• Get all fire protection equipment checked regularly by professionals (every 6-12 months)
• Clean out lint filters from the machines daily
• Trade waste regularly
• Create a chemicals register containing all Material Safety Data Sheet. All new employees should be required to read this before being asked to sign the employees list attached to the MSDS folder.

Spontaneous Combustion Risk

Under the right conditions, piles of clothes soiled with substances such as oils, grease, or cleaning products can cause spontaneous ignition or combustion. These fires can happen at any time throughout the wash and dry cycles.

Spontaneous combustion of laundry can be triggered by many factors and is increasingly becoming the cause of fire insurance claims, resulting in significant losses for businesses. As an employer or owner of a dry cleaning business, you have a responsibility to understand how these fires can happen and what can be done to prevent them.

• Don't leave soiled laundry in a pile or laundry bin overnight
• Wash soiled items on the right setting and ensure detergents are suitable for the removal of all fats, grease, and oils likely to be on the laundry items
• Allow laundry to complete the cooling cycle in the dryer
• Do not overload the laundry appliance and always operate according to manufacturer's operating instructions
• Ensure stacks or piles of laundry are well ventilated and stored away from heat sources
• Don't leave laundry in the dryer for long periods and remove when the cycle is complete
• Use thermal scanners to ensure you are alerted to heat buildup in stored laundry
• Install a fire-suppression system in the dryer, or a buy dryers with a fire-suppression system installed
• Only run laundry appliances when someone is on the premises
• Ensure exhaust pipes are free of obstruction