Laundry Owners Should Always be Thinking About Safety
In today’s lawsuit happy society, people are being sued at the drop of a hat. No real reason is needed, just a desire to make a buck. Every business owner is a target, especially owners of those coin laundries that are unattended. Anyone can sue and make a claim especially if there is no one there to say, one way or the other, whether the claim is true, or not.
There are scam artists who abuse the system by staging fake accidents and making false claims. These scams work well against owners of coin laundries.
In addition to those who fake accidents there are those customers who actually do get hurt in a laundry, either by being careless or else from the carelessness of the laundry operator.
The surest way to be certain that if a claim is made that it’s true, is the use of television security cameras. There are literally hundreds of cases recorded where claims were made against a laundry and thrown out of court because the laundry owner was able to show the actual event on tape. Utilize video cameras and VCRs to protect your laundry from the abusers. The higher the quality system, the better.
In addition to saving a laundry operator from phony slip and fall accidents, the cameras really cut back on attacks from burglars and bandits. No one with any sense wants to be caught on camera breaking and entering a business to steal and vandalize. Pictures recorded on a time stamped video tape are real evidence and make a prosecutors job very easy, and crooks know it.
Let’s face it friends, not all that goes wrong in a coin laundry is created through false claims and thievery. Lots of errors come as a result of plain carelessness on the part of owners.
One of the major faults is a failure to secure folding tables and seating. When someone sits on an unsecured table or seating unit, and there is an accident, a lawsuit is bound to follow. Too many laundry operators prefer that tables and seating units remain moveable to permit easier cleaning and floor care. Larger customers can tip a seat or knock over a table with ease, and they can get hurt.
Sure. it might take a little more time to clean the floor around laundry items that are bolted down, but that period of work will seem trivial compared to the time and effort it takes to defend a lawsuit you will likely lose anyway. Lawsuits generally mean an increase in insurance premiums too.
Another problem is the slip and fall accidents that are caused by wet floors and careless customers. Some open machines to remove clothes early, and spill. Others drop a soft drink or spill liquid detergent on the floor. It happens. The only problem is that other customers have expectation of non slip and dry floor in any place of business, including a coin laundry.
These aren’t an owners fault. There isn’t much that he or she can do to prevent slips and falls under those circumstances, except stay on the alert and carry a mop.
One of the areas of concern that are the fault of an owner are those slips and falls that result from machine caused leaks due to broken hoses and constant drips from those same washer inlet hoses.
Inspect the washer water hoses for leaks and tighten and replace them as required. When it comes to the need to replace, don’t go on the cheap. Don’t be so concerned with saving money on washer inlet hoses. Spend a little more and get quality. Think of the peace of mind you will have and the legal problems you won’t have.
All hoses are under a lot of pressure 24 hours a day. The vibrations of the wash cycle will work to crinkle vinyl or rubber material where it meets the metal connections. Over time, pin hole leaks and drips will develop. Even worse, cheap hoses can burst, flooding the floor and creating a minor crises in the laundry.
When you mop floors, especially when customers are present, put up signs that indicate “WET FLOOR”. Some customers won’t see the floors are wet and dangerous.
Wax only with a good industrial, non slip wax. Floors need a wax and polish few enough times to allow you to buy the best grade without breaking the bank. It’s not smart to invite slip and fall lawsuits just to save a few bucks on wax.
Part of a good program of coin laundry safety and security is regular and disciplined machine inspection and maintenance.
A large part of the discipline is staying at it on a regular basis. The purpose of inspections is to keep washers and dryers functioning efficiently and to prevent any harm done either to your customers or your business. Efficiency saves money, extends machine life, builds and expands customer confidence. But in doing inspections, in the case of coin laundry dryers, efficiency also means fire safety.
Perhaps the greatest problems in the coin laundry business are dryer fires caused through a build up of lint. You’d think that a fire in the metal box, that is a dryer, would be pretty much confined to that box. And the fire often is, but the damage goes a long way in the laundry.
The heat can be incredible and has been known to melt plastic and wiring harnesses in washers twenty feet away. Laundries have been closed for six months due to damage done in a single dryer fire.
That is why successful laundry operators conduct regular and disciplined inspections of their equipment. They remove the lint from the dryer lint drawers and from the area of the burners and thermostats to be certain that dryer fires won’t adversely affect their coin laundry business.
While you’re out there doing inspections, take a look at the sidewalk and parking areas in front of your laundry. You probably don’t have the responsibility for those areas, but that won’t keep you from being named in a lawsuit that arises from injuries that occur coming or going to your laundry. If there are any cracks or pot holes, call them to your landlords attention, and stay on him until he gets the problem solved. Practice safety around your laundry and the surrounding areas. Don’t be sued.
Date:-05/28/2011
By:-Admin
