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Wherever you install your washer and dryer - whether it's in the basement or another room - make sure you install a smoke alarm as well. Like all major appliances, your washer and dryer should be properly grounded. Ensure you have the proper sized fuse or breaker switch installed. Washing means water, of course, and if not already in place, you should install an outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter.
If your laundry room shares the basement with the furnace, avoid hanging clothes, or storing laundry products, such as bleach near the furnace where they can create fire. Water, electrical appliances, tight spaces are all present dangers to children, so make the laundry room off limits as a play area. Also, the iron should also be kept out of reach of children - young tots can pull on the cord and pull a heavy iron down on themselves causing injury.
And, watch your step while carrying laundry, especially if you have to take the stairs. It's better to take two small loads so you can see where you're going over the top of the laundry basket and avoid tripping. It's also not a good idea to locate the laundry hamper or basket on the stairs.
Preventive Maintenance in the Laundry Area
The benefits of preventive maintenance are far too often overlooked. By creating a preventive maintenance schedule and sticking with it, laundry managers can increase their department's efficiency, reduce the risk of injury and illness, minimize unscheduled interruptions, and prevent larger and more costly repairs.
Included on the dryer maintenance schedule should be steps to ensure that the equipment has unrestricted airflow. Although workers may clean the lint screen several times a day, it is equally important that the dryers' entire exhaust ducts be inspected at least once a month. A restricted exhaust duct from lint reduces airflow and increases the chances of creating an unsafe condition. Vacuuming behind the tumbler every six months is also recommended.
As for washers, after every 200 hours of use the bearings and seals should be lubricated with manufacturer-recommended grease. Washers should be examined for leaks daily. Besides watching for the obvious puddle on the floor, someone from the maintenance staff should inspect the hoses for water and chemical leaks. If leaks are found, the equipment shouldn't be used until a service technician repairs them. At least every three months, maintenance should also check the washers' belt condition, clean the water-inlet screens, and inspect anchor bolts.
In addition to implementing and posting a preventive maintenance checklist, clear directions for operating conditions should be posted, such as proper start-up and shutdown procedures.
HKS 3.2.docx3.2.pptxSafe Operation of Equipment
To avoid injury while using laundry room equipment there are certain things to look for and others to avoid. The following is a list of some general operating tips:
Carefully read safety labels and instructions on all laundry equipment. Post safety instructions near each machine for easy reference.
Regularly run safety tests. For example, check the door interlock on washer-extractors. When testing the door interlock, attempt to start the machine with the door open, close the door and, without locking it, attempt to start the machine. If the equipment starts during either of these tests, contact your service technician. Also, try opening the door during the wash cycle. The door should stay locked. If it doesn't, immediately disconnect the equipment from its power source so it cannot be operated, and contact your service technician.
Safety first for on-premise laundries: following these good-sense safety guidelines
Perform similar safety checks on tumblers. Try opening the door during the dry cycle. The machine should stop when the door is opened.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Never, under any circumstance, operate your washer-extractor if there is high water on the laundry room floor or if the machine is not connected to a properly grounded circuit.
Examine the floor for cracking. The concrete foundation must be of sufficient strength and thickness to handle the floor loads generated by the high extraction speeds. If cracking is severe, the floor needs to be reinforced with new concrete.
Provide sufficient space to move between pieces of equipment and for the performance of service procedures and routine preventive maintenance.
Use machines only for their intended purposes. For example, to reduce the risk of fire, don't put plastics, articles containing foam rubber, rags contaminated with gasoline or other flammable solvents, or mop heads into the dryer.
Do not defeat machine safety features. Washer-extractors and tumblers are constructed with numerous safety features, such as washer door lock protection and a dryer airflow safety switch. By intentionally overriding these features, you create an unsafe condition.
Cut off the power when there is a problem with a machine or a jam in a flatwork finisher. Don't just turn off the machine, but turn off the power at the power source.
Check emergency switches and devices weekly to ensure that they are working properly.
Remove hot laundry from a tumbler immediately after cycle completion. Never leave a hot load sitting in a tumbler or a laundry cart unattended.
Throw out rags. If you have rags that have been used to clean up or apply a chemical, don't wash or dry them. For safety reasons it's best to throw them out.
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