Safety Survey Shows Continuous Improvement
TRSA recently released results of its annual national Safety Survey that showed dramatic, across-the-board reductions in incidents at commercial laundries. In fact, the Textile Services Industry Safety Report indicated that safety improvements at commercial laundries exceeded those in the overall private manufacturing industry. The questions included in the report are based on U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
Specifically, the report found the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) for TRSA members dropped by 27.3% between 2010 and 2014. Similarly, TRSA members’ Days Away, Restricted and or Transfer Rate (DART) dropped by 25.6% during that same period.
As for the private manufacturing industry, its TRIR and DART rates fell by 9% and 8.3%, respectively, during this same time period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Manufacturing operations are similar to those found in textile processing facilities. Therefore, they share many of the same safety issues and compliance mandates as those in textile services industry.
“The statistics in the latest TRSA safety report shows tremendous improvement in key indicators of worker health and safety in commercial laundries,” said Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA. “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.”
TRSA’s safety survey is modeled on the OSHA “Summary of Work Related Injuries and Illnesses” Form – more commonly known as the OSHA Form 300A. From Feb. 1 through April 30, federal OSHA regulations require every textile services facility to publicly display a completed OSHA Form 300A for the facility from the previous year in the facility where notices to employees are commonly posted.
A total of 713 completed surveys from TRSA members were submitted directly to Mackay Research Group – an independent, third-party organization that specializes in providing comprehensive information on employee, operating and financial performance for trade associations.
For the past decade, SafeTRSA has provided industry-specific tools and resources to help textile service providers improve their safety performance by documenting best practices and compliance. The TRSA Safety Committee continually updates and revises the material to identify and mitigate risks in their laundry facilities and on routes. The Safety Report is available at www.SafeTRSA.org.