City Implements Coin Laundry Safety Regulation on July 1
The Taipei City Coin Laundry Safety Management Regulation takes effect starting July 1, 2021. The coin laundry operators will be responsible for installing alarms and fire safety equipment at their stores, as well as implementing scheduled maintenance and related insurances.
The first 6 months following the implementation of the ordinance will focus on promotion of the code. Beginning January of 2022, violators will be subjected to penalties in compliance of the regulation. As the first municipality to incorporate safety management of coin laundries into local regulations, Taipei City Government seeks to minimize potential hazards posed by these facilities to its surroundings and immediate neighborhood.
With changing family composition and urban lifestyle, the coin laundry business has seen rapid growth in recent years. However, the fact that these facilities operate around the clock without staff presence raises concerns over safety such as fires or gas leaks. As of June 2021, there are a total of 277 coin laundries in Taipei City. The implementation of the Taipei City Coin Laundry Safety Management Regulation will address this issue.
The new regulation requires coin laundry operators to obtain company/business registration, comply with building and fire safety codes, and acquire related insurances. Operators must also install carbon monoxide alarm and microcomputer gas meters for facilities with gas-powered devices. Electric brakes are required for coin laundries running on liquefied petroleum gas.
Coin laundries which fail to adopt such safety measures may be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$15,000; severe violation may even result in business being suspended for 60 days. Safety inspections by licensed technicians are required at least once every 6 months, with violators being slapped with fines between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000. Those who do not post staff contact information and no smoking signs in the store will face fines between NT$3,000 to NT$15,000.