Survey: Commercial Laundries Outpace Manufacturing Sector in Safety Improvements

Commercial laundries dramatically curbed safety issues at their facilities over the previous five years, according to a survey by an industry group.

The Textile Rental Services Association of America's annual safety survey found that its members reduced incident rates by more than 27 percent between 2010 and 2014, while the rate of work time lost due to incidents declined by more than 25 percent.

The decreases far exceeded those of the manufacturing sector overall, where incidents fell by 9 percent and time lost fell by 8.3 percent according to federal Labor Department statistics.

"Along with continuing advances in hygienic cleaning processes, these safety numbers highlight our industry's dedication to improving the health and safety of its workers and the public," said TRSA CEO Joseph Ricci.

The Mackay Research Group analyzed 713 TRSA member companies that responded to questions based on U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards; TRSA officials said the commercial laundry industry shares many safety and compliance standards with private manufacturers.