Executive Housekeeping Today - September 2008 - (Page 13)

single place or container keeps them safely out of the way until needed. Driving Ergonomics For laundry workers unloading bulk linen trucks, feeding napkins into ironers, and performing other repetitive tasks, often for hours at a time, proper ergonomics are essential to preventing a variety of back and other musculoskeletal injuries. The latest bulk linen trucks feature a wider, lower frontal opening than standard units to permit greater access to the laundry and minimize reaching down into the cart. Recessed handles and hand holds are now designed into the cart with greater ergonomic consideration to promote more efficient energy transfer for easier rolling with less force. The baskets and utility trucks that handle much of the day-to-day workflow inside a laundry facility are now available in spring-loaded designs in virtually any size or capacity. As linens are removed, these spring-loaded carts and baskets automatically raise the height of the remaining linens to reduce bending and reaching. With attention being paid to the ergonomics involved in reaching down, it’s equally important to look up and pay attention to the sling systems moving overhead. By transporting huge, heavy volumes of soiled laundry throughout the facility, sling systems may be one of the most ergonomically-friendly innovations available for a laundry. But slings, operating in a consistently moist, warm environment, do endure substantial wear and tear and occasionally weaken, rot, and rip. Frequent checks of each and every sling to ensure their integrity is essential to preventing a loaded sling from failing while moving above defenseless workers. For executive housekeepers managing a fleet of delivery trucks or an outside commercial laundry service, the safe, on-time arrival of clean, folded goods each day is critical to running a smooth operation. Safe driving habits outside the laundry are just as important as safe machine operating habits inside. Obviously, drinking and driving or the use of controlled substances needs to be grounds for immediate dismissal. Similarly, several states have passed laws banning the use of cell phones while driving and others have passed or are considering passing laws specifically banning text messaging while driving. Unfortunately, these laws are a reaction to several fatal accidents. Your drivers, and especially younger drivers, need to understand how quickly an accident could happen from even an instantaneous distraction and how dire are its ramifications. As long as people and machines work together in a laundry, or in any facility, there will be a potential for accidents to happen. But executive housekeepers can reduce the likelihood of an accident happening on their watch by examining every step of the laundry process with an eye toward minimizing contact between people and machines, reducing physical lifting and handling, and maintaining a clean, clutter-free workplace. The level of safety in the laundry is directly related to the level of commitment expressed in the housekeeping department and to the leadership of executives throughout the entire organization. Executive housekeepers who instill a desire for safe operations demonstrate a concern both for their people and for bottom-line returns. W Ty Acton is national sales manager for Tingue, Brown & Co., the supplier of laundry products, parts, carts, and services, founded in 1902. At the company’s recent 2008 National Conference & Sales Meeting, Acton prominently featured safe laundry operations as the primary educational topic. For additional information, call (800) 829-3864, e-mail tacton@tingue. com, or visit www.Tingue.com. Log on! www.ieha.org � � Wet-Tech, a global company headquartered in Worcester, Mass., designs, develops and manufactures energy- and water-saving EnviroSaver II Ozone equipment and the OBF (One Bath Forward) water reuse equipment. WET-TECH has a partnership with O3 Wash Pty Ltd. of Australia and is known throughout the industry as an authority in ozone treatment for the laundry. For more information, call (508) 831-4229, or visit www.wet-tech.com. September 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 3 http://www.Tingue.com http://www.ieha.org http://www.wet-tech.com http://www.wet-tech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - September 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - September 2008 Contents Executive Corner 2008 Salary Survey Results Strengthening Worker Safety in a High Throughput Laundry Frugal Housekeeper How CIMS Relates to You Feature Article The Green Scene The Un-Comfort Zone: What's Pushing Your Buttons? Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers’ Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - September 2008

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