Candidate Support Pack - Scottish Qualifications Authority

Sorting contract laundry
Introduction
Large commercial laundries that deal with big contracts usually have an area set aside
specifically for sorting soiled linen and fabric items. Soiled linen, workwear garments and
other fabric items enter the laundry in a soiled and contaminated state and, in most
laundry operations, they have to be sorted and classified before being washed.
This task can be very dirty, and potential dangers exist to laundry personnel responsible
for sorting these items. The laundry will have carried out a risk assessment on all
classifications entering the premises, and will consequently have established operating
procedures to protect the health and safety of their staff involved in this task.
Health and safety
Your supervisor will advise you or your manager if there are any specific risks associated
with the type of work your laundry processes and what special precautions are necessary.
By following basic hygiene and safety policies within your sorting department, you should
be able to carry out all the required activities safely and efficiently.
All employees engaged in sorting soiled linen or garments should wear workwear. The
level of body coverage required will depend on the contamination levels of the soiled linen
or special requirements issued by your customer. Some customers — for example, the
food industry and clean room operations — are concerned that you might be at risk of
increasing contamination of their garments before they are washed.
The following table gives you some indication of the level of protection you may need:
type of soiling/
customer
Personal Protective Equipment
coat/
overall
boilersuit
Jkt/Trs
face
mask
respirator special
footwear
hat
hood
hospital linen yes possible possible unlikely possible no yes
engineering
workwear
yes possible no no possible no yes
gloves
hotel work yes possible no no no no possible
abbattoir
overalls
yes possible possible no possible possible yes
food industry yes possible possible no possible possible yes
asbestos
contamination
no yes yes yes yes possible yes
cleanroom no yes yes no yes yes yes
GC8N 22 — Laundry Operations Level 2 3.19