Content about Education

CHICAGO — For Toledo’s NuCentury Textile Services, 2012 began under horrible circumstances.

Published reports indicate that, on Jan. 3 last year, an employee failed to turn off and lock a folder before servicing it. His clothes got caught in the machine, and his hand and forearm were injured. He later died from complications while recovering at home.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) cited NuCentury for several alleged safety violations and fined it $40,000. NuCentury hired a safety consultant and took other steps to improve its safety program, prompting OSHA to lower the fine to $19,600.

Despite best efforts, on-the-job accidents do occur in and around textile service facilities, and employees are injured or, on rare occasions, even killed.

There are resources available to  help an operator ensure his plant is being run safely, and among them is SafeTRSA, a program offered by the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA).

It provides safety training materials to TRSA members and measures the industry’s progress in implementing enhanced practices to reduce and eliminate occupational injuries and illnesses in plants and depots, according to Ken Koepper, director of marketing and public relations for the association.

Success is quantified when TRSA administers its annual survey of its members’ occupational injury and illness data, he explains. “Such tracking over the past several years has prompted TRSA’s creation of industry-specific initiatives and resources to focus on the industry’s highest risk areas and those cited most frequently by OSHA.”

This has resulted in TRSA members’ adoption of proven policies and procedures for maintaining equipment (lockout/tagout), handling soiled linen (especially bloodborne pathogens) and working in confined spaces, Koepper says.

“The networking and information-sharing between members on such matters has generated new programming for educational institutes and conferences as well as publications, online resources, videos and more.”

Membership-wide safety statistics enable TRSA companies to easily compare their improvements to the industry norm and foster further gains.

Data from 2011, reported in 2012, will be released by TRSA shortly.

“Our survey from 2010 covered 59 textile services companies operating 720 processing facilities and depots,” Koepper says. “It showed that in the prior four years, the industry experienced across-the-board reductions in its injury and illness rates. TRSA calculates separate TRIR and DART rates for plants and depots.

“The new report will reflect further reductions. Also, participation in the survey increased in 2012, to 66 companies operating 792 facilities.”

TRIR stands for Total Recordable Incidence Rate. DART is short for Day Aways, Restricted or Transferred.

From 2006 to 2010, TRSA respondents reduced their total number of recordable injuries and illnesses per 100 employees (TRIR Rate) from 9.5 to 5.5, Koepper says. Injuries and illnesses per 100 employees resulting in days away from work, job restrictions and/or job transfers (DART Rate) dropped from 5.8 to 3.9.

TRSA also calculates separate figures for the industrial and linen segments. The new report will cross-reference these with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) industry-wide figures, according to Koepper.

In 2011, at TRSA’s request, for the first time in roughly a decade, BLS published separate TRIR and DART rates for textile services (industrial and linen) as opposed to the agency’s prior practice of only consolidating them with all other types of commercial laundry (mostly dry cleaning and coin laundry).

Koepper says TRSA requested this reporting enhancement as a means for tracking future industry-wide improvements.

“Although TRSA and BLS results show that the industry is still short of achieving its ultimate objective—eliminating occupational injuries and illnesses in its facilities—these reports also demonstrate dramatic progress towards achieving that goal,” he says.

TRSA hosted a Safety Summit last year that focused on enhancing safety cultures across the industry.

“It had been four years since the industry conducted a single-subject meeting on safety,” Koepper says. “Although it was a seminar topic in conferences and educational institutes, too much time had passed since an event dedicated to the subject was held.”

Audiences for prior safety-focused meetings had consisted mostly of hands-on safety professionals. The Summit concept involved the highest levels of textile services management, elevating TRSA’s involvement in guiding operators in increasing the prominence of safety in their corporate cultures.

“The Summit went beyond day-to-day injury prevention tactics,” Koepper says. “It examined options the industry could exercise collectively to hire the proper expertise, immediately assess the greatest risks and devise near-term action plans for developing standards and communicating them to operators.”

The TRSA Safety Committee is working on those plans, and a second Safety Summit has been scheduled for May 22 in Indianapolis.

Koepper says he’s seen the industry make great strides in automation in recent decades.

Automated material handling reduces the “manual labor requirement for this purpose. Soil bags are hoisted and carried on rails automatically to washers. Computing drives clean-side garment sorting. To prevent hazardous discharge of energy, smart systems are limiting access to areas where electricity must be controlled to ensure machines don’t start unexpectedly.”

But automation isn’t likely to ever completely eliminate all the different types of human movement required to provide textile services.

“Route service, for example, will always involve an individual walking from a truck to a customer’s receiving area,” Koepper says. “To reduce exposure, the industry has increased its proficiency in safer lifting, carrying and pushing. More individuals are cross-trained to perform different jobs in the course of a day to curtail redundant motion.”

TRSA is guiding members in their quest to convince every employee that safety comes first and productivity second.

While it is still a huge job to get to zero incidents in an industry so heavily dependent on athleticism and individual workers’ judgment, Koepper says TRSA is pleased with the gains of recent years and believes more improvement lies ahead.  

WILMINGTON, Mass. — Working in a nursing home or residential care facility can be particularly hazardous to your health, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA says such employees miss work at a rate that is 2.3 times higher than all other private industry businesses combined, largely related to accidental slips, trips and falls.

OSHA has targeted these healthcare facilities in a national emphasis program (NEP), meaning it will now be inspecting such businesses, specifically, for safety violations over the next three years. And it will be keeping tabs on all types of businesses for slips, trips and falls because data shows such accidents cause 15% of all accidental deaths in North America—second only to car accidents.

“Since dirty and wet walking surfaces are often cited as causes of preventable accidents, safety-minded businesses often include commercial 'floor mat systems' to help prevent slips and falls,” says Adam Soreff, director of marketing for UniFirst, a company that provides commercial floor mat and uniform services.

The most effective floor mat systems, according to Soreff, consist of placing scraper mats with raised rubber cleats outside entranceways to remove heavy dirt and moisture first, and then placing carpet-topped walk-off mats inside entrances to trap any residual dirt and moisture. Placing walk-off mats in all heavy traffic areas inside helps contain soiling and moisture even further.

And there are special mats available, such as “wet area” mats that funnel spilled liquids beneath their surfaces (recommended near areas such as sinks and drinking fountains) and anti-fatigue mats that can reduce muscle and joint fatigue (helpful wherever employees stand for long periods of time).

It's imperative that businesses look for industrial-grade mats specifically constructed to lie flat and stay put, Soreff adds. UniFirst recommends mats certified as “high traction” by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI).

Even the highest quality floor mats must be professionally cleaned, maintained and inspected on a regular basis to remain clean and fully functional. “Vacuuming alone won't do it, and neither will a scrub brush,” Soreff says. “You've got to get deep down into rubber crevices and fiber pilings to hygienically clean floor mats.”

It's surprising that many facility managers are unaware that there are companies like UniFirst that can bundle commercial floor mat systems with other business services, he adds.

CHICAGO — Getting employees to assume ownership with respect to their responsibilities starts at the top. The ability of senior managers to demonstrate they are leaders by recognizing the importance of recognition and encouragement plays a vital role in driving employees and programs to assume ownership. But some managers impose an external, often-limiting structure on employees, which can result in low morale and wreak havoc with expectations.

The world we live in today has undergone rapid, disruptive changes. What were once accepted norms are being thrown out the window! New ideas, working philosophy and creed are replacing the old. This means that your employability and survivability in your organization are based on your ability to take ownership of what you are doing. Even if you are employed by someone else, you are as much the owner as your employer. Taking ownership of what you do internalizes that part of the job and energizes you.

People working within organizations are sometimes simply running around and doing things the right way. They are efficient but not really effective. They keep to organizational protocols and practices and do not question their validity or the need to change. After a time, whatever they’re doing becomes a sort of “acceptable practice” and a general state of inertia sets in. If you’ve reached this kind of state, it’s about time that you question your values, identify your vision, and try to figure out whether you are doing the right thing by staying on or if you should move on.

The traditional approach of long-term employability is being challenged today. Many organizations now offer shorter contract terms so they have the option of selecting and keeping those employees that they feel are assets. Not knowing whether your organization wants you after your contract runs out could create a sense of dissonance and lack of conviction on your part.

If you feel that you can be an asset to your organization and are keen to stay on, take ownership of your job. Change your paradigm from the traditional “I work for the organization” to one in which you believe “the organization is working for me.” Learn to see yourself as the owner, no matter where you stand in your organization. Achieving this mental perspective will automatically allow you to start to contribute effectively.

But what traits are essential to create a sense of responsibility?

BE RELIABLE

When we buy any item, we want to ensure that it is reliable. We do this for one simple reason—so it will serve our purpose and not give us problems. Likewise, reliability is a personal quality that you should develop. When you are reliable, you become your own boss. You will also become an indispensable asset of your organization, assuming it recognizes what you do and how you do it. You will be someone whom the organization feels can help drive it to success.

BE RESPONSIBLE

Learn to take responsibility for your own actions. Respond to a situation rather than react to it. Taking responsibility will show that you are a person of high integrity and conviction. Others will look up to you and value your opinion and the decisions that you’ve got to make.

You can develop this quality by volunteering to take on a certain task rather than waiting to be asked. Sometimes, people who feel they aren’t wanted wait to be asked under the belief it will elevate them to a higher level of importance. This is certainly a quality of a person suffering from an inferiority complex. You don’t have to feel that way. Dive into your workload with passion and give it your best. Do this regularly and people in your organization will take notice, one way or another.

Taking responsibility generates confidence and boosts self-esteem. When you feel this way, you inevitably develop the next quality that will make you personally successful.

BE OPEN AND SMART

This will ensure that you are not easily swayed by what others say about your organization and you. Learn to be open to constructive criticism that allows you to self-analyze and improve personal and professional qualities. But don’t fall prey to your organization’s “emotional werewolves” who tend to zap your sense of self-awareness and make you feel as if you are wasting your time with the company.

You can become more open and smart by clearly establishing your goals and synchronizing them with organizational goals. If you are unable to do this, it may mean that you can’t see what your organization is working toward; this will definitely lead to a clash. It might be a good idea to move on. But if you believe that you can change your mindset and work in sync with your organization’s vision, then you need to develop the next quality.

BE GOAL-ORIENTED

You can lose sight of your goals and purpose in life if you find yourself stuck in a rut and thinking that you’re just plain unlucky. This is nothing more than a negative state of mind. Get tough and make your own luck. Learn how to work within limitations and maximize your productivity. I’ve never heard of any organization that has abundant resources. One way or another, there will be some sort of shortage. See what you can do to exploit the resources available at your disposal. Think creatively and make sure that whatever you have works for you.

The fact that you are still employed is a testament to the fact that your organization believes in your ability. It is up to you to drive your organization from wherever you are.

Leaders empower their staff to take on additional responsibilities. Leaders should also maintain an open environment that allows communication to flourish so that everyone knows their job. And they should develop a habit of connecting emotionally so that the staff sees them not only as their superior but someone whom they can trust and rely upon.

Lastly, if you consider yourself a manager, never be critical of an employee in front of others. Not only will you look like an idiot, doing so will distinguish you as a poor manager who cares only for yourself. Learn to roll up your sleeves and work with your employees, not against them.

CINCINNATI — In recognition of National Safety Month, Cintas Corp., a provider of first aid and safety products, has released its top tips for businesses impacted by the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) requirements for chemical classification and labeling. The new system will require millions of businesses and employees nationwide to be retrained on hazard communication.

“Hazardous-chemical information needs to be communicated to any employee who is exposed to or works with chemicals—even bleach,” says John Amann, vice president, First Aid & Safety, Cintas. “With GHS affecting over 5 million businesses, it is important that all employees are trained and understand the upcoming changes to chemical safety so businesses can keep workers safe and maintain OSHA compliance.”

The top tips for transitioning to GHS include:

UPDATE YOUR WRITTEN SAFETY PROGRAM

Anytime a safety standard is created or updated, written programs must be changed to include guidelines for complying with the regulation. Update your written program to incorporate GHS in all of your current hazard communication protocols.

BEGIN TRAINING NOW

The adoption of GHS has the potential to prevent nearly 600 injuries and illnesses annually, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). To be proactive in preventing accidents, employees must be properly trained on new chemical labeling and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) formats. Businesses that make an effort to train well before the deadline will have knowledgeable, prepared employees, thereby limiting injuries, medical costs and potential OSHA fines, Cintas says.

ENSURE WORKERS UNDERSTAND NEW PICTOGRAMS

Nine new pictograms for chemical labels will provide visual warnings for carcinogens, skin or eye irritants, flammable products and more. Clarify what each pictogram represents and demonstrate the types of personal protective equipment (PPE) workers should wear for different hazards.

FAMILIARIZE EMPLOYEES WITH NEW LABELS

New labels will now have a signal word, the product identifier, supplier identification, and hazard and precautionary statements. These detailed labels include critical warnings, Cintas advises, so it is important to teach employees to thoroughly read them before using the chemical.

EXPLAIN NEW SAFETY DATA SHEETS (SDS) FORMATS

Safety Data Sheets (SDS), formally Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), are informational guides for determining chemical handling and storage, necessary PPE and exposure action plans. These will now follow a standardized format and contain more extensive chemical information. Reference OSHA to understand the new layout, and keep your SDS binders accessible so employees can refer to them anytime.

ENGAGE EMPLOYEES USING BLENDED TRAINING FORMATS

When used in conjunction, instructor-led, DVD and online training engage all learning types. Lessons should combine visual and auditory instruction with group activities and handouts to encourage retention of GHS material, Cintas recommends.

KEEP TRAINING RECORDS ON FILE

To prevent OSHA fines, it is necessary to document all of the training conducted within your facility. Have employees sign training logs after they have completed GHS training and demonstrated an understanding of the concepts.

“Because hazardous materials present severe risks to workers, complying with GHS guidelines is essential for maintaining a safe work environment,” adds Amann. “Businesses that begin preparing now will find the transition much easier than workplaces that wait until the last minute.”

Cintas is offering a free on-site, no obligation consultation to determine what aspects of current hazard communication programs a given business needs to update. More information is available by calling 877-973-2811.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) has added a new General Membership classification for private- or public-sector organizations dedicated to processing their own textiles. The expansion will enhance the association’s representation as the primary advocate and educator of all large-scale laundry operations, TRSA says.

“TRSA has long promoted, and will continue to promote, that processing laundry on the largest scale possible is the most sustainable, effective and efficient laundering method,” says Woody Ostrow, chairman of TRSA’s Board of Directors. “The Board agreed that TRSA traditional (Active) members have many more significant similarities with these General operations than differences. All TRSA launderers and associates will benefit from sharing information with the most highly reputed on-premise, institutional and cooperative laundries.”

Ostrow, of CleanCare Linen, Pittsburgh, observed that these operations already benefit from TRSA’s successes in fighting for fair, balanced regulation and pro-business policies.

They similarly gain from improvements in laundry equipment, supplies and services prompted by discussions at TRSA meetings. Through direct participation in TRSA conferences, committees and leadership, General Members will accelerate improvement in their business practices and professional development, he says.

The addition of these operations creates a broader base for TRSA’s assessments of industry performance and the economic and environmental benefits of proven best practices.

General and Active Members will compare efficiencies and effectiveness in serving the textile needs of all kinds of businesses, particularly hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, hotels and other healthcare and hospitality establishments.

The expansion brings TRSA into line with the international trend in associations serving uniform and linen supply laundries, as institutional and co-op operators and sometimes dry cleaners are typically their colleagues in these groups worldwide.

“TRSA must continue to lead innovation, facilitate best practices and highlight emerging technologies that accelerate productivity and performance,” Ostrow says.

Performing these functions over the years has enabled TRSA to fulfill its legal requirement as a trade association to foster competition. By expanding these efforts to cover its new General Members, TRSA is recognizing their competitiveness.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Richard Fairfax, U.S. Department of Labor deputy assistant secretary, will be a presenter during March’s Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) Leadership & Legislative Conference in Washington.

Fairfax oversees the enforcement and construction directorates for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In his previous post as OSHA’s enforcement programs director, he offered opinions on various safety regulations of interest to the textile services industry, in particular, those dealing with bloodborne pathogens and lockout/tagout.

His March 28 presentation comes as OSHA increases fines, as the average levy per serious violation has risen from $1,050 to $2,200 in the agency’s last two fiscal years. OSHA also is moving forward with its Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2), an initiative that could see businesses revamping safety and health efforts.

Fairfax is expected to update attendees on the I2P2 process as well as other key rulemakings, including those related to noise control, musculoskeletal disorders, combustible dust, ergonomics, chemical exposure, the agency’s enforcement procedures and more.

To learn more about the conference, visit TRSA’s website.

“Equipment, chemicals, etc., play a huge part in our laundry’s success, but our most important asset is our people. We have to work well as a team. In what ways can I improve my team-building skills and learn how to spot trouble that could drag down staff morale and curtail production?”

Textile/Uniform Rental: John Shoemaker, General Linen & Uniform Service, Detroit, Mich.

One of the great things that should be done is having a weekly staff meeting. First of all, “weekly” staff meetings don’t happen 52 times a year. You have seven major holidays, vacations, some passes around budgeting time, and a few high-profile customer plant visits that take precedent.

So, these “weekly” staff meetings are more like 38 or 39 times a year, but when lead properly, they are a time for bonding.

The facilitator needs to make sure he/she is in charge to prevent a donnybrook amongst the pugilists defending their home turf. This open forum often leads to every member of the group seeing others’ needs, and makes for a more palatable final resolution. This helps with morale.

Another wonderful idea is having “inside/outside” days. Have the plant supervisor ride a route that is having problems with a plant-related issue. Have a district service manager sort the route that has faded garments labels. This will lead to constructive criticism rather than finger pointing. The DSM will now say, “You are right, these labels are too hard to read, and it needs to be addressed” rather than “The stupid plant is mis-tying all of my garments and screwing things up.”

When you are facilitating such meetings, you can see the benefits. Trouble spots will emerge before you, allowing a more cohesive team-building effort in which everyone has buy-in and is rooting for the success of the team.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: Phil Jones, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Orlando, Fla.

There are several ways to improve your team-building skills. One is by challenging yourself to read at least one new book per month. I always choose a book by a successful leader in some field such as business or sports. You will find valuable pieces of information on how to build and maintain a team from those who have done it. Try to take away at least one or two principles from each book.

Look at how you might implement those practices in your organization and then share what you propose to the team. Ask many questions and get 100% involvement in the changes. Your team must be able to provide open feedback on the processes—including having the ability to change or stop a process if it does not work.

We make our associates feel like they are business owners with an equal say in the operation, and have open discussions in our morning meetings on how processes are working.

Another way to improve team-building skills is to benchmark with other organizations that have successful teams. We take our management team on field trips to visit other laundries or some of our vendors to see teamwork in action. It is one thing to talk about how teams operate, but it is quite another to see it up close.

Just as I take one or two principles from the books I read, I ask my team to do the same after our visits. They are responsible for coming up with suggestions for improving our team and then implementing those changes.

Holding regular team meetings is an important way to gauge if trouble is brewing within your organization. A change in the level of engagement during meetings can be an indicator that something is off-center.

Your team becomes quieter or doesn’t respond the same way as in the past may be a warning sign. If your team has gotten quieter or doesn’t respond in the same way it has been, that may be a warning sign. If your team no longer asks questions or makes suggestions during the meetings, or there are side conversations going on, those could be signs of unrest that you need to address quickly. There is nothing wrong with openly asking what’s going on and what you can do.

Equipment/Supplies Distribution: Russ Arbuckle, Wholesale Commercial Laundry Equipment SE, Southside, Ala.

As in any labor-intensive endeavor, your people play a key role in just about every aspect of your successful business. In most cases, there will be many different types of people, personalities and even cultures. Blending this potpourri into a productive, cohesive unit is, in my mind, one of the most difficult business tasks.

Repairing or even replacing malfunctioning equipment, upgrading/updating processes and operations, or even revamping complete infrastructure, while difficult, does not involve the one thing that can make or break productivity—the clash of individual personalities.

Building a successful team is not something that can just be learned from a book.

Understanding the individuals and how each meshes with other team members is critical to maintaining morale and, subsequently, production.

It is important for human resources, supervisory staff and even owners to understand the individuals who make up the team. They need to be aware of things that can create dissension.

Understanding the personalities can make it easier to determine which are right for which tasks and put like-minded individuals together on specific jobs.

Management must be vigilant in watching for signs of tension, or even hostility, among team members. These signs can come in many forms, and it is up to you and your staff to learn to recognize them early on so that you can intervene immediately.

By not allowing these tensions to fester, your chances of “keeping the peace” and preventing loss of production are much greater.

Promoting team spirit helps to keep personalities cohesive as they all strive toward the same goals. Defining these goals, as well as introducing direct benefits for achieving them, helps to keep the spirit alive and well.

Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.

ASHTABULA, Ohio — When laundry managers review their injury logs with inspectors from OSHA or from their workers’ compensation insurance carriers, back injuries frequently rank among the most commonly reported. On average, each back-injury claim represents a week of lost productivity, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, plus associated healthcare costs. The culprits triggering many of these back injuries are not difficult to fix.

By paying attention to ergonomics, work positioning and the elimination or minimization of repetitive bending, reaching and lifting, laundry managers may save their workers from needless pain and injury and save their companies from needless, burdensome costs.

Spring-Loaded Carts Prevent Back Strain

Spring loading refers to setting a platform of vinyl-covered wire frame, plastic or plywood atop or under a series of metal springs, all set within a laundry truck or cart.

When linens are placed on top, the platform gradually sinks into the bottom as the weight of the linens increases. As linens are removed during cart makeup or when fed into a flatwork ironer, for two examples, the platform gradually and automatically rises.

It is this rising action that directly reduces the lower back strain by maintaining the height of the work at or near the waist level of most workers. Reaching into the bottom of carts is eliminated.

Two Types of Spring Loading

From a review of utility trucks being used to hold clean linens for feeding a variety of machinery at the Clean Show, the majority of them were fitted with the hanging style of spring loading. In this style, one end of each spring is attached to the platform through grommets set within the perimeter of the platform while the other end of the spring is hooked over the rim of the laundry cart or truck, always at the corner and sometimes in the middle depending on the load.

The platform hangs within the container, and the load is borne from above. The springs are typically encased in a flexible sleeve to safeguard workers from contact with the springs and to prevent linens from getting caught or snagged.

The second style of spring loading hides the springs underneath the platform. This coiled style virtually eliminates the potential for the springs to come into contact with workers or linens. Either style may be sized to fit nearly any type of utility cart or truck commonly found in a laundry.

Which Is Better?

Both styles offer comparable performance and longevity with almost no maintenance requirements. Both styles may be removed to clean the inside of the cart without any tools. Their zinc-plated, rust-resistant springs rarely wear out from too many cycles and have been known to last for decades, as long as the weight of laundry placed on the platform is within the specified range.

The coiled style handles heavier loads than the hanging style, with load ratings of approximately 38 pounds per spring at full spring extension versus approximately 31 pounds per spring when hanging from the rim. Therefore, to handle 300 pounds of laundry, for example, the coiled style would require eight springs underneath while the hanging style would require 10 springs around the perimeter of the utility truck. The difference of only two springs may affect the price by as little as $20, but when applied over a fleet of 100 utility trucks the savings become substantial.

From a safety perspective, though both styles meet ergonomic needs, the coiled style earns points for hiding the spring mechanism under the platform. However, the hidden coil style requires space within the interior of the cart or truck. This means a 14-bushel laundry truck, for example, with the spring-loaded mechanism hidden inside, actually functions more as a 12-bushel laundry truck. To move 14-bushel loads, a larger laundry truck needs to be used at a slightly higher price. Again, when applied over a fleet of 100 utility trucks, the difference becomes substantial.

Monday: Specifying the right spring-loaded mechanism…

ANDOVER, Mass. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited Royal Institutional Services Inc., a commercial laundry in Somerville, Mass., for four alleged violations of workplace safety standards following a worker injury.

OSHA opened its inspection after learning that a mechanic sustained a crushing hand injury on Jan. 26 while lubricating the chain of an ironer that was running.

The laundry, which is owned by Angelica Corp., faces a total of $49,935 in proposed fines.

OSHA’s inspection found that the machine had not first been de-energized and had its power source locked out before maintenance was performed, as required by the agency’s hazardous energy control or “lockout/tagout” standard.

OSHA cited Royal Institutional Services for one repeat violation with a fine of $35,000 for the lack of energy-control procedures; two serious violations with $14,000 in fines for the lack of effective training and evaluation; and one other-than-serious violation with a fine of $935 for a lack of documented lockout procedures for a machine.

Upon receiving the citations and proposed penalties, Royal Institutional Services had 15 business days to comply, meet with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

This Association for Linen Management webinar will present a comprehensive look at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) requirements in laundries and the changes proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Webinar time is 2 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Central, noon Mountain, 11 a.m. Pacific.

ALM members pay $49.95 per connection; nonmembers pay $75 per connection. Cutoff for ordering is 24 hours prior to webinar.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Recordable injuries and illnesses in Textile Rental Service Association of America (TRSA) member workplaces dropped 17% from 2008 to 2009, according to the annual TRSA Textile Services Industry Safety Report just released.