LTI: Burn to hand while working in laundry
What happened?
UK Step Change in Safety has published an alert in which a member of the crew suffered a burnt hand whilst working in the laundry. The person put a hand into a dryer (prior to running the cooling cycle) to check if the garments were dry. In doing so, that hand touched a “base layer” type garment* that had melted inside the machine. The result was a burn that escalated to an LTI.
What lessons were learnt?
Some work activities should be done in sequence to ensure safety (e.g. running the dryer cooling cycle before entering). In such cases, it is necessary not only to know what the control measures are, but also to carry the work out in a particular order. Users of offshore laundry facilities should make sure that clothing is appropriate for machine washing and drying. Certain fabrics can melt under high heat, increasing the risk of injury to laundry workers and the possibility of fire.
See the Step Change “Safety Moment” on the Step Change website.
*Base layer type garments are usually either a mix of or entirely made from polypropylene. This fabric has qualities which allow moisture to wick away and heat to be retained. Because of its melting factor, air drying is recommended instead of machine drying.
Members may wish to review the following incident:
Safety Event
Published: 27 June 2017
Download: 
IMCA SF 16/17
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