The laundering and dry-cleaning industry employs around 39,000 people in 3,600 businesses, with a turnover of £1.3bn. (Source: National Statistics Annual Business Inquiry 2006). Most work in small dry cleaners, but with some large industrial laundries handling hospital and hotel contracts and specialised operations such as industrial wipers.

There is a significant local authority enforced sector in the launderette industry and in "on-premises laundries" (e.g. in hotels), and in in-store dry-cleaning units. In Scotland there is currently an arrangement for all dry-cleaning shops to be inspected by the local authorities.

In these industries, the main causes of injury are:

• manual handling/musculoskeletal injuries (more than a third of all injuries);
• slips and trips (nearly a quarter of all injuries);
• hit by moving or falling objects; and
• contact with moving machinery.

These four causes alone account for nearly 90% of all reported injuries.

The main causes of ill health are:

• Musculoskeletal injury from manual handling boxes, sacks, wheeled trolleys etc
• Work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs), eg from repetitive sorting/packing work
• Noise induced hearing loss from noisy machines, eg cleaning plant, packaging machinery
• Respiratory irritation from breathing fumes such as chlorine, hypochlorite, ammonia and sulphur dioxide
• Occupational dermatitis from chemical cleaners

These web pages contain information about health and safety for the laundries and dry cleaning industries. They also provide details on how to obtain further health and safety information via HSE's free and priced publications.