Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Templates, Documents and Guidance.

Take control of health and safety in your Dry Cleaning or Laundrette Business with our easy-to-use templates

Simplify health and safety management in your dry cleaning or laundrette business, whether you’re running a busy high street laundrette, managing a dry cleaning shop, or operating a chain of laundry stores. Our editable templates are designed specifically for the laundry and dry cleaning industry, helping owners and managers stay compliant with regulations while protecting staff, customers, contractors, and delivery drivers from everyday risks in fast-paced environments.

Many templates come pre-filled with detailed, industry-specific content — from a dry cleaner and laundrette risk assessment and health and safety policies to fire safety forms, COSHH documents, accident reports, and staff safety guidance — making completion quick, accurate, and stress-free. With our ready-to-use tools, you can focus on serving customers, managing day-to-day laundry operations, and growing your business while maintaining the highest standards of health, safety, and compliance.

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Dry cleaned shirts on hangers in dry cleaning business.

Ironing Out the Risks: Why Health and Safety Matters in Dry Cleaning and Laundrette Businesses

Behind the hum of dryers and the hiss of steam presses lies something just as important as a perfectly finished garment: a strong approach to health and safety. Dry cleaning shops and laundrettes deal with hazardous solvents, high temperatures, heavy loads, and powerful machinery on a daily basis. Without the right precautions, staff, customers, contractors, and even delivery drivers could be at risk. A proactive safety culture not only prevents accidents but also ensures smooth operations and builds confidence across your team.

Staff and Customer Safety

Dry cleaners and laundrettes are busy environments filled with washing machines, dryers, hot irons, presses, steamers, and chemical cleaning agents. Staff wellbeing is essential to prevent burns, scalds, slips, trips, strains, or exposure to hazardous substances. Customer safety must also remain a priority — from keeping floors clear and dry to controlling fire risks and ensuring proper ventilation. A safe environment protects everyone while building trust and maintaining a professional reputation.

Meeting Legal Duties with Confidence

Health and safety laws are not optional; they are essential obligations. Non-compliance can lead to fines, enforcement notices, or even closure of your premises. For dry cleaners and laundrettes, tools such as risk assessments, fire safety documentation, COSHH records, and health and safety policies are crucial for demonstrating compliance and managing hazards effectively. Keeping documentation accurate and up to date not only helps meet legal duties but also gives owners and managers peace of mind.

Protecting Your Reputation

In today’s review-driven world, one negative incident can quickly damage a business. Reports of unsafe machinery, chemical spills, or customer accidents can spread fast online. A visible commitment to health and safety protects your reputation, builds trust, and encourages repeat visits and long-term customer loyalty.

Proactive Safety Tools

Effective safety management is about prevention, not just reaction. Regular staff training, clear signage, up-to-date risk assessments, and routine checks of equipment form the foundation of safe operations. A culture of accountability ensures hazards are spotted and addressed before they escalate. To make this easier, we’ve developed ready-to-use compliance templates designed specifically for dry cleaners and laundrettes. These templates allow you to maintain the highest standards of safety and compliance while focusing on what you do best — delivering quality cleaning services and excellent customer care.

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  • A dry cleaning shop employee putting clothes into a washing machine.

    Fire Safety Risks

    Dry cleaners and laundrettes face a high risk of fire due to the use of certain flammable solvents, lint build-up in dryers, and electrical equipment such as washing machines running continuously. Fires can spread rapidly, endangering staff, customers, and property. To reduce the risk, businesses should carry out a dedicated fire risk assessment, keep escape routes clear, maintain electrical appliances, clean lint filters daily, and store solvents securely in ventilated, fire-resistant cupboards.

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  • Wet clothing being washed in a washing machine.

    Chemical Exposure & COSHH

    Solvents, stain removers, and other cleaning chemicals can cause burns, skin irritation, respiratory illness, and long-term health conditions if mishandled. Proper COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments, safe storage, and clear labelling are essential. Staff should receive training in chemical handling, use protective equipment such as gloves and goggles, and have access to spill kits and eyewash stations to minimise exposure risks.

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  • A burnt hand being held under cold water.

    Burns, Scalds, & Steam Injuries

    Steam presses, boilers, irons, and hot water systems all pose significant risks of burns and scalds to staff. Accidental contact with hot surfaces, or exposure to escaping steam, can lead to painful injuries. Risks can be reduced by training staff in safety procedures and correct machine use, providing insulated gloves, adequate equipment maintenance, and ensuring only competent operators use hot machinery. Completing regular risk assessments will also help identify potential hazards early and ensure controls remain effective.

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Benefits of managing health and safety yourself...

  • Improve safety

    Health and safety at work is about preventing accidents, incidents and ill-health by assessing the work environment, the activities within it, and taking appropriate action.

  • Ensure compliance

    Our ready to use templates, many of which are pre-filled, will enable you to quickly increase your compliance to health and safety laws and regulations.

  • Save money

    With health and safety consultants often charging upwards of £400 per day, there is a better way. Take control and save yourself time and money.
Shop Dry Cleaner & Laundrette Health and Safety Templates
Laundrette worker with basket of clean washing.

Health and Safety Solutions for Dry Cleaners and Laundrettes

Running a dry cleaning or laundrette business means juggling countless responsibilities at once. From operating washing machines, dryers, presses, and boilers to handling chemicals, serving customers, and managing staff, the daily pressures can make it difficult to give health and safety compliance the attention it deserves.

For many small to medium-sized dry cleaners and laundrettes, finding the time and resources to fully implement and maintain safety measures can feel overwhelming. The need to keep customers happy and operations flowing often takes priority, but neglecting compliance can lead to accidents, legal action, reputational damage, and costly downtime.

At easyhealthandsafety, we take the pressure off business owners by providing ready-to-use templates and guidance that are practical, affordable, and easy to follow. Our pre-filled risk assessments, policies, COSHH documentation, fire safety tools, and compliance forms help protect staff, customers, and your business reputation — so you can focus on delivering a professional service and growing your dry cleaning or laundrette business with confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Dry Cleaner & Laundrette Health and Safety FAQs

Do dry cleaners and laundrettes need to complete a risk assessment?

Yes, all dry cleaners and laundrettes must carry out a risk assessment.

All employers are legally required to assess health and safety risks in the workplace. For dry cleaners and laundrettes, this includes hazards such as exposure to solvents, fire from dryers and lint build-up, slips on wet floors, and injuries from hot presses or boilers. If you have five or more employees, your findings must be recorded in writing. Even with fewer staff, having a written record is strongly recommended.

Our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Risk Assessment Template and Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle provide ready-made documents tailored to the industry, making compliance straightforward.

How can I create a risk assessment for a dry cleaning or laundrette business?

You can create a risk assessment for your dry cleaning or laundry business by identifying hazards, who may be harmed, and the controls you will put in place.

Start by walking through your premises to spot hazards such as chemical exposure, hot equipment, fire risks, or manual handling issues. Record who could be harmed (staff, customers, contractors) and how, then list the safety measures in place. Update regularly, especially when processes change.

To make this easier, our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Risk Assessment Template and Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle include pre-filled content that covers all the major hazards for this sector.

Do dry cleaners and laundrettes need to have a health and safety policy?

All businesses must have an adequate and fit-for-purpose health and safety policy, and if you employ five or more people, it must be written down and recorded.

A health and safety policy sets out your business’s commitment to keeping staff and customers safe and explains who is responsible for what. Even if you have fewer than five employees, having a written policy is strongly recommended to demonstrate compliance. Our Health and Safety Policy Template and the Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle come with editable, industry-specific policy content to keep your business compliant.

What are the main fire risks in dry cleaners and laundrettes?

Fire risks in dry cleaners and laundrettes come from electrical equipment, lint build-up, certain flammable solvents, and more.

Dry cleaners and laundrettes must manage fire risks caused by certain solvents, tumble drying, faulty wiring, and other potential hazards. Regular cleaning of lint filters, safe storage of solvents, and electrical inspections are essential. A Fire Risk Assessment is legally required for all premises and should be updated regularly. Our Fire Risk Assessment and Essential Fire Safety Template Bundle helps you meet legal obligations and put the right preventative measures in place.

Do I need COSHH risk assessments for chemicals in a Laundrette or Dry Cleaning Shop?

Yes, COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments are required for all hazardous substances used by the business.

Dry cleaning solvents, detergents, and stain removers can cause serious health problems if mishandled. COSHH regulations require you to assess and control these risks, provide PPE, and ensure safe storage. Our ready-to-use COSHH Risk Assessments and the Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle include detailed COSHH documentation for common chemicals used in many industries, including laundry and dry cleaning businesses.

We also have an easy-to-use Blank COSHH Risk Assessment Template for hazardous substances specific to your business that we have not yet covered.

What health and safety training should Laundrette and Dry Cleaning staff receive?

Staff must be trained on hazards such as chemicals, fire, manual handling, and equipment use.

Training is essential to prevent accidents and ensure legal compliance. Staff should know how to handle solvents safely, operate presses and boilers, clean lint filters, and respond to fire alarms. Training should also cover slips, trips, manual handling, and PPE use.

Our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle includes staff safety guidance and induction forms that dry cleaners and laundrettes can use to ensure health and safety compliance.

How often should health and safety documents be reviewed in Dry Cleaners and Laundrettes?

They should be reviewed at least annually or whenever significant changes occur to your premises, equipment, processes, staff, etc.

Risk assessments, fire risk assessments, policies, and COSHH documentation must be kept up to date. If you install new equipment, change cleaning products, or alter the layout of your laundrette, you must review and update your documents.

Using editable tools like our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Risk Assessment Template or the full Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle, which contains a suite of essential compliance documents, makes updating quick and straightforward.

What are the common health and safety hazards in Dry Cleaning and Laundrette businesses?

Key hazards include fire, chemicals, hot equipment, slips, manual handling, and even machine entrapment.

Dry cleaning and laundrette environments contain washing machines, dryers, presses, irons, and boilers, all of which pose risks. Staff are exposed to potential burns, scalds, chemical splashes, slips on wet floors, and injuries from heavy lifting. Customers may also be at risk from slips or fire hazards.

Our pre-filled Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Risk Assessment Template and Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle cover all of these hazards with practical controls tailored to your business.

How can Dry Cleaners and Laundrettes protect staff and customers from accidents?

Accidents in dry cleaners and laundrettes can be reduced by putting in place clear policies, safe systems of work, regular training, and effective accident reporting.

Accidents can be prevented through good housekeeping, correct use of PPE, equipment maintenance, and fire safety measures. Customers must also be protected with clear signage, safe layouts, and proper ventilation. Just as important is accident reporting — recording incidents using an Accident Report Form not only helps you meet legal obligations but also highlights patterns and hazards so they can be addressed before they reoccur.

Our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle includes a suite of essential health and safety documents, including an accident report form, giving you the tools to create a safer, more compliant environment for both staff and customers.

What happens if a Dry Cleaner or Laundrette fails to comply with health and safety law?

Non-compliance can lead to fines, enforcement action, or even business closure.

Inspectors can issue enforcement notices if serious risks are found. In the event of an accident, lack of documentation or policies can result in heavy fines or prosecution. Beyond legal penalties, poor safety practices can harm your reputation and drive customers away.

Using our Dry Cleaner and Laundrette Health and Safety Template Bundle helps to ensure you have the right risk assessments, policies, fire safety, and COSHH documentation in place to demonstrate compliance and protect your business.