BlueSafe
Laundry Safety Risk Assessment

Laundry Safety Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Laundry Safety Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Laundry operations using this management-level Laundry Safety Risk Assessment, focused on systems, governance and WHS planning rather than task-by-task work instructions. This document supports executive Due Diligence, helps demonstrate compliance with the WHS Act, and reduces organisational exposure to operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Duties and Compliance Framework: Assessment of PCBU obligations, officer due diligence, consultation arrangements, and the integration of laundry safety into the broader WHS management system.
  • Facility Design, Layout and Traffic Flow: Management of building layout, pedestrian and vehicle interactions, workflow segregation (clean/dirty zones), and safe access/egress throughout laundry facilities.
  • Plant and Equipment Safety Management: Controls for washers, dryers, presses, conveyors and automated systems, including guarding, isolation, lockout/tagout and safe integration of new plant.
  • Preventive Maintenance, Inspection and Asset Management: Systems for scheduled servicing, safety inspections, defect reporting, and lifecycle management of critical laundry plant and infrastructure.
  • Chemical Management and Drycleaning Solvents: Assessment of procurement, storage, decanting and use of detergents, sanitisers and solvents, including SDS management, ventilation and exposure controls.
  • Heat, Steam, Fire and Explosion Risk Management: Management of boilers, steam lines, hot surfaces, lint accumulation, ignition sources and fire protection systems within laundry operations.
  • Manual Handling, Ergonomics and Work Organisation: Evaluation of lifting, pushing, pulling and repetitive tasks, workstation design, load limits, job rotation and engineering controls to minimise musculoskeletal disorders.
  • Contaminated Workwear, Infection Control and Biological Hazards: Protocols for handling soiled linen and garments, segregation and decontamination processes, PPE requirements and infection control procedures.
  • Contractor, Labour-Hire and Supplier Management: Systems for prequalification, induction, information exchange and performance monitoring of external providers working in or supplying the laundry.
  • Training, Competency and Supervision Systems: Assessment of induction programs, competency verification, refresher training and supervisory oversight for all roles involved in laundry operations.
  • Fatigue, Working Hours and Psychosocial Risk Management: Controls for shift patterns, workload, production pressures, bullying, stress and other psychosocial hazards within laundry workplaces.
  • Transport, Logistics and Off-Site Collection/Delivery: Management of route risks, vehicle loading, client-site interfaces and communication arrangements for drivers and off-site personnel.
  • Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Action: Frameworks for capturing incidents and near misses, conducting root cause analysis, and tracking corrective and preventive actions to closure.
  • Documented Procedures, SWMS Interface and Change Management: Governance of policies, procedures and SWMS, including version control, consultation, communication and formal management of change.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning: Planning for fire, chemical spills, boiler or plant failure, medical emergencies and evacuations, including drills, training and liaison with emergency services.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Laundry Managers, Safety Managers and WHS Officers responsible for planning, governing and overseeing commercial laundry and drycleaning operations.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Compliance Framework
  • • Lack of clear allocation of WHS responsibilities under WHS Act 2011 leading to unmanaged laundry risks
  • • Inadequate WHS policy specific to commercial and industrial laundry and dryclean operations
  • • Failure to consult workers and HSRs on laundry-specific hazards (heat, chemicals, machinery, manual handling)
  • • Insufficient monitoring of compliance with WHS Regulations, Codes of Practice and relevant Australian Standards
  • • Failure to consider contractor and labour-hire PCBU duties in multi‑PCBUs laundry and dryclean workplaces
  • • No system to review and update WHS governance arrangements when business size, technology or processes change
2. Facility Design, Layout and Traffic Flow
  • • Poor layout creating congested work areas around washers, dryers, presses and finishing equipment
  • • Ineffective separation of soiled and clean laundry streams causing biological contamination risks
  • • Inadequate pedestrian and vehicle segregation for trolleys, forklifts, delivery vehicles and vans
  • • Insufficient space around plant leading to unsafe access for maintenance and cleaning
  • • Inadequate emergency egress routes due to accumulation of laundry bags, cages and hampers
  • • Poorly designed change rooms, hand‑washing and hygiene facilities for workers handling contaminated workwear
  • • Lack of designated chemical storage and decanting areas away from heat and ignition sources
3. Plant and Equipment Safety Management
  • • Lack of systematic verification that washers, dryers, ironers, presses and conveyors meet WHS plant requirements
  • • Inadequate guarding and interlocks leading to entanglement, crush or shear injuries on rotating drums and pinch points
  • • Failure to manage safety for automated and continuous tunnel washers and associated conveyors
  • • Absence of plant risk assessments for new or modified laundry and dryclean machinery
  • • Uncontrolled introduction of second‑hand or imported plant without Australian compliance checks
  • • Poor lock‑out tag‑out (LOTO) systems resulting in energised plant during maintenance or jam clearing
4. Preventive Maintenance, Inspection and Asset Management
  • • Inadequate preventive maintenance program for washers, dryers, steam systems and drycleaning machines
  • • Failure to inspect and maintain safety‑critical components such as brakes, guards, interlocks, emergency stops and pressure systems
  • • Unmanaged breakdown maintenance leading to rushed, unsafe repairs and bypassing of safety devices
  • • Lack of calibration and inspection of temperature and time controls for thermal disinfection of workwear
  • • Inadequate inspection of gas, steam and pressure vessels associated with industrial laundry equipment
  • • No system for workers to report plant and equipment defects or near misses
5. Chemical Management and Drycleaning Solvents
  • • Inadequate identification and risk assessment of laundry detergents, bleaches, solvents and spotting agents
  • • Improper storage, transfer and bunding of flammable dryclean solvents (e.g. perc alternatives, hydrocarbons)
  • • Lack of up‑to‑date Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical registers for all laundry and dryclean chemicals
  • • Uncontrolled manual decanting and dosing of concentrated chemicals causing burns, inhalation or splash injuries
  • • Poor management of incompatible chemical segregation (e.g. oxidisers and organics, acids and alkalis)
  • • Insufficient systems for solvent vapour monitoring, leak detection and still residue management in dryclean plants
6. Heat, Steam, Fire and Explosion Risk Management
  • • Excessive radiant and ambient heat exposure from dryers, ironers, presses and steam lines
  • • Poorly managed lint build‑up in dryers and ducting creating elevated fire risk
  • • Inadequate control of flammable atmospheres in dryclean solvent systems
  • • Unmanaged hot surfaces and uninsulated steam pipes leading to contact burns
  • • Deficient fire detection, suppression and evacuation systems in laundry and dryclean areas
  • • Failure to control ignition sources near flammable liquids and solvent vapours
7. Manual Handling, Ergonomics and Work Organisation
  • • Poorly designed manual handling tasks for lifting, pushing and pulling laundry bags, trolleys and workwear bundles
  • • Inadequate engineering controls for high‑volume workwear sorting, feeding, folding and packing tasks
  • • Repetitive movements and awkward postures at sorting tables, feeding stations and pressing equipment
  • • Lack of job rotation and task variation leading to cumulative musculoskeletal disorders
  • • Inadequate assessment of manual handling risks associated with wet, heavy workwear and mats
8. Contaminated Workwear, Infection Control and Biological Hazards
  • • Inadequate systems for receiving, segregating and processing contaminated workwear (e.g. healthcare, food industry, industrial sites)
  • • Poor handling and containment of sharps, bodily fluids or hazardous residues within soiled laundry
  • • Lack of documented infection control procedures and disinfection standards for different customer sectors
  • • Failure to manage cross‑contamination between contaminated items and general laundry or clean workwear
  • • Insufficient immunisation programs and health monitoring where there is risk of specific biological agents
9. Contractor, Labour-Hire and Supplier Management
  • • Poor coordination of WHS responsibilities between PCBUs for laundry plant maintenance, chemical supply and transport
  • • Inadequate vetting of contractor competency for high‑risk tasks such as boiler servicing, electrical work or solvent system maintenance
  • • Failure to induct labour‑hire workers into specific laundry and dryclean hazards, safe systems and emergency procedures
  • • Lack of WHS performance criteria and monitoring in contracts for outsourced transport or off‑site laundering
  • • Insufficient communication about contamination risks and PPE requirements for external drivers handling soiled workwear
10. Training, Competency and Supervision Systems
  • • Inconsistent skills and knowledge among workers operating complex laundry and dryclean equipment
  • • No formal competency framework for key roles (operators, supervisors, maintenance personnel, drivers)
  • • Reliance on informal buddy‑training without documented learning outcomes or assessment
  • • Inadequate supervision levels for new starters, young workers and those with limited English proficiency
  • • Lack of refresher training on critical risk controls such as LOTO, chemical handling and emergency response
11. Fatigue, Working Hours and Psychosocial Risk Management
  • • Extended shifts, night work and high production demands leading to worker fatigue and reduced vigilance
  • • Workload pressures and tight turnaround times for commercial and industrial clients creating stress
  • • Poor management of bullying, harassment or conflict in fast‑paced production environments
  • • Limited worker input into scheduling and insufficient breaks during hot or high‑intensity periods
  • • Inadequate systems to support workers experiencing mental health issues related to work or external factors
12. Transport, Logistics and Off-Site Collection/Delivery
  • • Inadequate journey management for collection and delivery of soiled and clean workwear to industrial and commercial client sites
  • • Poor load securing systems for trolleys, cages and solvent containers during transport
  • • Lack of hygiene controls for vehicles transporting contaminated laundry and workwear
  • • Insufficient control of driver competency, licensing and fatigue for in‑house and contracted drivers
  • • Limited communication and emergency response arrangements for drivers operating in remote or high‑risk locations
13. Incident Reporting, Investigation and Corrective Action
  • • Under‑reporting of incidents, near misses and hazards in laundry and dryclean operations
  • • Superficial investigations that do not identify underlying system and management causes
  • • Ineffective corrective actions that focus only on worker behaviour rather than higher‑level controls
  • • Lack of trend analysis to identify recurring issues with plant, chemicals or processes
  • • Failure to meet notifiable incident requirements under WHS legislation
14. Documented Procedures, SWMS Interface and Change Management
  • • Critical laundry and dryclean tasks performed without documented procedures or SWMS where required
  • • Out‑of‑date procedures that do not reflect current plant, chemicals or production volumes
  • • Poor integration between high‑level risk assessments and task‑based SWMS leading to control gaps
  • • Uncontrolled changes to processes, plant or layouts without formal risk assessment and consultation
  • • Lack of version control and communication when procedures or work instructions are updated
15. Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning
  • • Unclear roles and responsibilities during emergencies involving fire, chemical spills or plant failures
  • • Insufficient capacity of emergency equipment for specific laundry and dryclean hazards (e.g. solvent fires, lint fires)
  • • Inadequate training of wardens, first aiders and spill responders for the specific risks on site
  • • Poor coordination of emergency arrangements with neighbouring businesses in shared facilities
  • • Failure to review and update emergency plans after incidents, changes or drills

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Model Code of Practice – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks: Guidance on systematic risk management processes.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities: Requirements for safe workplace layout, amenities and environmental conditions.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace: Controls for storage, handling and use of laundry chemicals and drycleaning solvents.
  • Model Code of Practice – Hazardous Manual Tasks: Guidance on identifying and controlling manual handling and ergonomic risks.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace: Requirements for plant design, guarding, inspection and isolation.
  • Model Code of Practice – Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: Guidance on managing work-related stress, fatigue and other psychosocial risks.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001 (as applicable): Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements and guidance for use.
  • AS 3788: Pressure equipment — In-service inspection, relevant to boilers and pressure systems used in laundry operations.
  • AS 1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, applicable to solvent and chemical storage.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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