Your legal obligation
Why ironing and laundry services need a COSHH assessment
While ironing services are often considered low-chemical work, the products used in laundry and ironing services do fall under COSHH where they contain hazardous substances. Starch sprays, stain removers, fabric conditioners, and in some laundry services, dry cleaning solvents or specialist fabric treatments, all need to be assessed. || Steam from steam generators during sustained ironing sessions also creates an inhalation consideration - particularly where scented products are used or where starch sprays are applied during ironing. || A COSHH assessment covering the products you use in your ironing or laundry service is part of the legal compliance picture for a self-employed service provider. CompliantDocs generates your assessment from the products you tell us you use.
The real problem
Ironing service COSHH documentation is often overlooked entirely
Because the products used in ironing services appear mild in comparison to industrial cleaning chemicals, COSHH documentation is frequently absent altogether. But where hazardous substances are used in the course of work - even products that appear mild - COSHH regulations apply. CompliantDocs generates appropriate documentation for your specific product range.
60 minutes
How long ironing service providers spend on COSHH documentation. Our service does it in minutes.
Your trade, specifically
The risks and requirements specific to your work
Ironing services handle multiple chemical hazards daily that demand formal COSHH assessment. Starching products contain formaldehyde or silicone-based compounds that create inhalation and dermatitis risks during application to fabrics. Commercial steam press machines generate high-temperature steam jets causing scalding hazards and thermal burns to hands and forearms. Fabric finishing sprays, particularly water-repellent treatments and static reducers, contain volatile organic compounds requiring respiratory protection in poorly ventilated premises. Iron soleplate temperatures exceed 200 degrees Celsius, presenting contact burn risks. Cleaning solutions for iron maintenance include citric acid and descaling agents that produce skin irritation on prolonged contact. Pressing tables, heated cabinets, and industrial mangles create crush and entanglement hazards. Many ironing services operate from small domestic or semi-commercial spaces with inadequate ventilation for chemical fumes. Workers handle wet fabrics throughout shifts, increasing slip and strain injury risks. The combination of heat, chemicals, repetitive pressing motions, and steam exposure creates a complex hazard environment requiring detailed COSHH assessment specific to your actual workplace layout, chemical inventory, and work procedures.
The cost of getting it wrong
What happens without proper documentation
Operating without proper COSHH assessment exposes ironing service operators to serious legal and financial consequences. The HSE issues Improvement Notices requiring immediate remedial action, typically allowing 21 days to demonstrate compliance or face prosecution. Unlimited fines apply to sole traders convicted of breaching COSHH Regulations, with recent cases against small service businesses resulting in penalties between 5000 and 25000 GBP plus legal costs. Commercial insurance providers routinely reject claims when businesses lack documented risk assessments, leaving you personally liable for worker injuries from chemical exposure or steam burns. Clients commissioning ironing services increasingly request compliance documentation before placing bulk orders, causing lost revenue. Staff absence due to chemical dermatitis or scalding injuries disrupts operations and damages reputation. Personal liability means your personal assets become at risk if an employee suffers occupational dermatitis traced to your failure to assess and control chemical hazards. CompliantDocs eliminates these risks entirely. Our done-for-you pack costs 47.99 GBP, generates all eight documents in minutes, and provides the exact legal evidence inspectors demand without consultant fees of 150-500 GBP.