Workers performing this task are at risk for repetitive motion injuries, including low back pain. The hazardous conditions are:
Folding towels puts workers at risk for neck and shoulder injuries. Bending and twisting pose the risk for back injuries. Prolonged standing on a hard floor contributes to lower leg discomfort and low back pain.
How can we reduce the risk factors for RMI? General
Continual twisting and reaching while working with extended arms can contribute to the development of repetitive motion injuries. However, the risk for such injuries while folding towels is somewhat lower than drying and folding of bedsheets and pillow cases. Some control over the pace of work and some flexibility in the working postures are responsible for the reduced risk.
Let's see how we can improve the operations in this hotel laundry facility:
Sorting and Washing
In the laundry processing plant, the sorting and washing operations are typically manual material handling tasks. These tasks pose the risk for low back pain.
Manual material handling cannot be fully eliminated but it is possible to reduce it by reorganizing the flow of work. For example, instead of sorting towels and linen before loading them into the bins, it would be preferable to load the laundry in the bins directly from the pile under the chute. This would eliminate handling the same laundry twice.
Further improvements of working conditions can be achieved by reducing stressful body movements while handling the laundry. Shortening the laundry chute (pipe) through which laundry is dropped would create more space so that the laundry would not compress against the pipe itself. As a consequence, the sorting of the laundry would require less pulling force.
| To reduce bending while reaching for the laundry at the bottom of the bins, it would be advisable to use different types of bins. For example, a bin with one side that opens mounted on a moveable tilt/lift table (Figure 14). To reduce pulling and pushing while manoeuvering the bins full of laundry, it would be advisable to use lighter bins with wheels designed for hard floors. In addition, the bins should be maintained regularly with particular attention to the wheels. | 
Figure 14 - Tilt-lift table |
Working in the sorting and washing areas requires standing on a concrete floor. Workers should wear shoes that provide good cushioning or they should use proper inserts to lessen the stress on the feet and on the lower back, and use anti-fatigue matting if practical.
Drying and Folding
The overall workload, poor layout of the work station, improper design of the laundry bins and the repetitiveness of the work are the major risk factors for repetitive motion injuries in the drying and folding job.
Providing bins with one side that opens on elevating devices would reduce bending and other awkward body positions while reaching for towels at the bottom of the bins.
To reduce awkward body positions such as reaching above shoulder level while feeding the dryer, it would be advisable to use a platform. Narrowing the counter that separates the worker from the dryer would reduce reaching forward.
Retrieving pieces of laundry and folding towels
| To reduce awkward body positions such as reaching above shoulder level while retrieving pillow cases from the dryer, it would be advisable to use a platform (Figure15). Narrowing the counter that separates the worker from the dryer would reduce reaching forward. Workers should have a sit/stand stool available to rest between tasks. Also, a foot bar to allow the worker to switch the weight of the body from one foot to the other should be made available. | 
Figure 15 - Standing on a platform while retrieving laundry
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| Partially folded bedsheets coming out of the dryer should be collected in a basket (Figure 16) so that when completing the folding operation, a worker can use a counter of appropriate height to reduce excessive bending. To reduce discomfort due to prolonged standing while folding towels, anti-fatigue matting should be used. Also, a sit-stand saddle chair and a foot bar should be provided (Figure 17). | 
Figure 16 - Collecting bedsheet in a basket
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| If it is not practical to sit while performing the task, workers should use these devices between tasks. | 
Figure 17 - A sit-stand saddle chair |
General Recommendations
One of the main risk factors for repetitive motion injuries in the laundry is the repetitiveness of the work. Incorporate different tasks to change the repetitive patterns of work. Job rotation and team work are two options that allow workers to vary tasks.
Job rotation requires workers to move between different tasks at fixed or irregular periods of time. Workers in the laundry cannot fully benefit from job rotation because all the tasks are similar in nature. Still, the feeling of change reduces monotony and slows down the development of fatigue.
In team work, workers form a team and each member of the team shares several different tasks. The whole team is involved in the planning of the work. The team controls all aspects of work. This improves attitude and job satisfaction, which are important factors in the prevention of occupational injuries and diseases.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in co-operation with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Employment and Labour Relations, Occupational Health and Safety Branch would like to acknowledge the participation of the Hotel Newfoundland (A Canadian Pacific Hotel) who so freely gave their time and resources to assist us in the development of this case study.
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