JISCMail - OCC-HEALTH Archives

Thank you Carr!

Apologies did not make clear at first that they do not deal with dirty laundry as contractors collect, wash and return to the laundry department for sorting to respective department.

The laundry is returned sealed in plastic covering a the piles of clean materials.

The worker remove the plastic covering and load the carrier to be sent to departments.

Yes, they will require better air quality during winter. However, when we made a workplace visit their appears to be a massive door with that is opened during the summer to allow air circulation. Some workers also admitted having hay fever symptoms during summer months and some are cigarette smokers but they believe the laundry fibres are to blame for their symptoms.

Regards

Thelma

On 21 July 2013 16:01, Carr Barnes <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi

From what I understand you'd have to look at:
- general air quality and humidity as already said

- ventilation needs and maintainance etc
- soiling on the linens causing irritation (e.g. skin particles etc becoming air borne with movement of linens; the type will depend on the industry being laundered)

- detergents etc

Carr

On 21 July 2013 15:50, Thelma Jameson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hello All,

Has anyone heard of runny and itchy nose in Laundry sorter?

We have 8/10 workers in laundry complaining of runny and itchy nose. An assessment was done and it was found that their was poor ventilation in the department as their is limited route for cotton fibres to exit the building. During summer they can open a large door to allow ventilation but come winter month they have to shut that door as it will be too cold to work.

I have looked for any evidence in this topic but the closest i got was cotton harvester /workers that may experience respiratory symptoms. It appears that the worker i am concerned with only sort and distrIbute clean linen to wards and departments and their is not sufficient exposure to cotton.

We have written to management to advice adequate ventilatory n the department by installing a mechanism that will waft out fine fibres' to consider PPE to cover nose, hair and overalls, warm clothing during winter and recommend the workers to attend for spiro. Is their anything else we should be doing?

Regards
Thelma

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