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May 28, 2012
Protecting Drycleaning Workers from Heat Illness

WASHINGTON — Working in hot or hot and humid conditions increases potential hazards

WASHINGTON — Working in hot or hot and humid conditions can place additional and generally avoidable hazards to the health and safety of drycleaning or laundry workers. And during what is typically the hottest time of year in most locales, it’s more important than ever that employers provide detailed instructions on preventive measures and adequate protection necessary to prevent heat stress, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Certain safety problems are common to hot environments. Heat tends to promote accidents due to the slipperiness of sweaty palms, dizziness, or the fogging of safety glasses. Wherever there exists steam, the possibility of burns from accidental contact also exists.

Aside from these obvious dangers, the frequency of accidents, in general, appears to be higher in hot environments. Working in a hot environment lowers mental alertness and physical performance. Increased body temperature and physical discomfort promote irritability, anger and other emotional states, which sometimes cause workers to overlook safety procedures or to divert attention from hazardous tasks.

August 30, 2011
Eminently Emerald (Part 1 of 2)

CHICAGO — Not so long ago, when you looked up “green” in the dictionary, there was a brief definition about color or pigment. Today, it’s difficult to read or hear the word “green” without also thinking of the environment, of conservation, of sustainability.

When writing about greening a business operation such as a drycleaner, it’s difficult to know where to start. There are so many different ways that a cleaner could boost its environmental profile, and so many different areas that are candidates for green initiatives.

And while going green could involve a decision to invest in new equipment, chemicals or supplies, there are low-cost, common sense changes that can also make a drycleaner more enviro-friendly.

OPPORTUNITIES TO GREEN

Every part of a drycleaning operation can be engineered to be “greener.” As you examine your operation for opportunities, here are just a few things to include on your checklist:

July 19, 2010
American Cancer Society Calls for Further Study of Perc

NEW YORK — A new report from the American Cancer Society and other world health groups has identified “gaps in research” for 20 suspected carcinogens including perchloroethylene.

Entitled “Identification of research needs to resolve the carcinogenicity of high-priority IARC [International Agency for Research on Cancer] carcinogens,” the report intends to prioritize the compounds for additional research and scientific study that leads to a more definitive classification of the agents.