Insurance companies in the UK are increasingly witnessing claims relating to fires in laundries and laundrettes. A number of these are believed to have been caused by the spontaneous combustion of laundered items.

What is spontaneous combustion?

Spontaneous combustion frequently occurs in natural fabrics, such as cotton. The heat produced in the drying process can cause the fabrics to oxidize, a process which generates its own heat. If this heat is not allowed to dissipate, for example if the laundered articles are tightly folded or packed, the fabric will continue to oxidize and it is possible that if it gets hot enough, it will catch fire.

The risk is most severe when laundering fabrics made of natural fibres that have been contaminated with certain oils, such as vegetable oil, or remain damp when packed. Contaminated textiles which have long fibres such as towels are particularly susceptible to spontaneous combustion.

This issue can be further compounded by the fact the oxidation reaction can take several hours to build up and most recent reports indicate fires have started during the night, long after the business has closed.

So how can you ensure that your business is protected against this type of fire? Chris Little, Managing Director of Premierline Direct, offers some guidance:

How to reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion

• Ensure that all employees involved in laundry work are trained in how spontaneous combustion can occur and the steps which they can take to help reduce this risk.

• Machines should only be operated when the premises are attended.

• In order to remove all deposits of fat, grease and oil, ensure that you have procedures in place which allow items to be washed thoroughly at the correct temperature and with the right amount of suitable detergent.

• Consider what the latest time is within the working day for it to be safe to process oily or other contaminated items if they cannot be cooled properly before you leave the premises.

• Employees should be trained to recognise items which have not been washed properly or have been dried but still show signs of being contaminated. These include bluish/grey smoke emitted from a finishing machine or smoke from an item being pressed.

• Do not allow items to be stored on canopies above equipment or close to sources of heat such as boilers or steam pipes.

• Don’t leave damp items in a warm or hot dryer. Start the drying cycle immediately using a low heat setting and keep the exhaust opening clear.

• Try not to “over-dry” items.

• Allow a 10 minute cool down cycle so as to remove as much heat as possible. This can help avoid spontaneous combustion.

• Once the drying cycle is over, avoid leaving large loads inside the machine or in a pile outside the machine. Remove all items and separate them to aid the cool down process

• Do not pack items until they are fully dry

• Do not pack items too tightly

• Avoid storing packed clean commercial linen overnight if it can be returned to the customer on the same day

• If packing laundered items in polythene bags, ensure ventilation holes are present to allow heat to dissipate

• Regularly clean:

- Lint screens and filters before and after each load

- Dryer vents & exhaust ducts

- Behind drying machines to remove any build up of lint

• Plastic and foil ducting can trap lint or easily be crushed. Replace this with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal ducting to allow optimum airflow

• Ensure your equipment has a suitable planned and preventative maintenance and inspection programme. As part of this, timers and other safety devices on dryers should be tested to ensure they are working properly.

• Familiarise yourself with the fire risk assessments required by current fire safety legislation.

- For England & Wales the "Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order" - In Scotland the "Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations"

For more information see - for England www.fire.gov.uk/workplace+safety - for Scotland www.infoscotland.com/firelaw

• Consideration should be given to fitting automatic fire suppression systems to drying machinery.

• Full sprinkler protection is also an option, however we recommend you speak to us before pursuing this.

• Before purchasing a new dryer, carefully consider the safety features and controls that it includes.

For example;

- does it have a forward and reverse action to reduce tangling?

- are the controls electronic and programmable e.g. can you programme the machine to dry on a “percentage of dryness” basis rather than just time alone so as to prevent over-drying?

- does it incorporate a fire suppression system?

If you have any questions regarding this article or the risk of spontaneous combustion, please do not hesitate to contact us on questions@premierlinedirect.co.uk.