Liftin Linen
By Linda Freeman

Ergonomically correct laundry department operations

A few years ago, the institutional laundry and linen management industry was expecting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require that ergonomic-related injuries be reported in a separate column on the OSHA form 300 log. However, after multiple changes were announced, anticipated and then withdrawn, OSHA required employers to continue reporting ergonomics-related injuries just like they do other injuries.

This does not mean ergonomics is not still a top priority, though.

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The Critical Role of Cleaning Laundry Ducts by Dan Stradford Chief Executive Officer Action Duct Cleaning, Co., Inc. Altadena, California

“The hospital’s dryers could hardly dry the clothes anymore, and the lint buildup was so bad that the fire inspector had cited the place.”

So begins the story by Action Duct Cleaning’s technician Robert Godinez of a Los Angeles medical center that was experiencing the “laundry list” of symptoms that occur when a laundry exhaust system is not maintained.

Every commercial laundry has a duct or series of ducts – the exhaust system – that remove the hot, moisture-laden air from dryers and exhaust it outdoors on the roof or via an outside wall. This hot air is filled with lint particles that, over time, deposit inside the duct. Lint can stack up until it is inches thick. Regular maintenance is needed to remove the accumulation. Maintenance is commonly done every three to six months but may be needed as often as monthly. When maintenance is ignored, the lint buildup – which can eventually occupy 50-75% of the duct – can cause a lot of problems.