TRSA Members Lead the Way in Safety: Significant TRIR/DART Reductions

TRSA released the results of its annual national safety survey, which demonstrated the commercial laundry industry continuing to make dramatic progress toward achieving its goal of eliminating occupational injuries and illnesses in its facilities.

TRSA members reduced their TRIR rate by 40.7 percent from 2019–’23. By comparison, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the linen and uniform supply industry TRIR rate decreased 24.5 percent from 2019–’23. During the same time, the manufacturing industry reduced its TRIR rate by 15.2 percent, while all private industry saw a 14.3 percent reduction.

The DART rate, which measures days away, restricted and/or transferred, TRSA members showed a greater change with a 42.5 percent reduction (from 4.0 in 2019 to 2.3 in 2023) compared to the overall linen and uniform supply industry reduction rate of 19.4 percent. The manufacturing industry dropped the DART from a 2.0 rate to 1.8 since 2019, and all private industry DART rate remained flat at 1.5.

“The latest TRSA safety report underscores the relentless dedication of our members to fostering safer work environments in commercial laundry facilities,” said Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA. “Their commitment to reducing occupational injuries and illnesses is evident in the significant improvements in TRIR and DART rates. This progress not only highlights their focus on employee well-being, but also their adherence to high standards of hygiene and environmental responsibility.”

TRSA’s Industry Safety Report covered a period from 2019 to ’23, its questions are based on U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards. It included occupational injury and illness data gathered from 651 TRSA member processing facilities and depots. The data was assembled by the Mackay Research Group, an independent, third-party organization that specializes in providing comprehensive information on employee, operating and financial performance for trade associations.

For more than a decade, TRSA 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. All participants will receive their copy of the report next week.

Click here for more information on the safety report or to download a copy.