Employee Health

and Safety

Chapter 9

#1

OCCUPATIONAL

HAZARDS

- Most jobs in the hospitality industry are physically demanding. This requires a level of physical fitness.

- Employees in customer contact jobs are on their feet for a full shift of 8 hours during which they perform various tasks that are demanding on the body.

- The main concerns arise out of physical workload; excessive bodily motions; and awkward positions that put a strain on the back, limbs, shoulders, and neck.

On a Typical Day, skilled employees in a hotel would be:

1. WALKING2. STANDING3. STOOPING4. SQUATTING5. KNEELING6. STRETCHING7. REACHING8. TWISTING9. CROUCHING10. LIFTING11. PUSHING

Walking:

Consider the miles that public area

personnel will cover when cleaning

the length and breadth of a hotel.The gardeners will be walking long distances to care for landscapes and gardens.

StandingMost hotel employees are on their feet in a full shift. The receptionist has to stand behind the counter for long hours just as a counter salesperson at the pastry shop.

Stooping:

Room attendants will need to stoop to pick garbage from floors; to clean bathtubs and closets; and to get linen from bottom shelves of maid carts; to tuck in corners of bed sheets in guest rooms; etc. Kitchen stewards have to stoop to pick up heavy pots and pans as well as gas cylinders.

Squatting:

Gardeners will need to squat for hours while preparing flower beds and planting seeds. Their work at the nursery involves long hours preparing flower pots for indoor decoration.

Kneeling:Room attendants would kneel while cleaning bathroom floors. Public area staff would do the same to clean stubborn stains from floors and staircases.

Stretching:Linen keepers and storekeepers will stretch to get supplies from higher shelves. Room attendants would stretch to clean the upper reaches of bathroom tiles and mirrors.

Reaching:

All employees will have to reach for something or the other. Waiters have to reach to serve guests. Linen and uniform keepers have to reach for items in exchange; the florist while doing the flower arrangements; etc.

Twisting:Public area cleaners have to twist their torso to clean areas around them to achieve maximum productivity. So do cooks who have to move continuously between kitchen equipments.

Crouching:

This is required to clean lower reaches of furniture like dining table legs, lower wardrobe shelves, etc. Gardeners have to crouch to tend to floor indoor plants, etc.

Lifting:Waiters have to lift trays; bellboys

have to lift guest luggage; and room attendants have to weighty linen off beds and maid carts; housemen have to lift heavy furniture and carpets; public area housemen have to lift furniture to re-arrange it; gardeners have to lift potted plants; and the list goes on.

Pushing:

Housekeeping personnel have to push maid carts; waiters, service trollies; laundry personnel the linen hampers, etc.

Suggestions to Reduce Physical Stress

Lighter Equipment Motorised EquipmentModern Detergents Job RotationJob EnlargementTeamworkEducation and Training

#2

PREVENTION Of

WORK HAZARDS

PREVENTION OF WORK HAZARDSAreas where accidents take place:

1. Fall – from slippery floors; make-shift ladders; cluttered work areas; and improper carpet lay out.

2. Cuts – from broken glass in linen bundles and garbage.

3. Back Pains – from improper working postures.

4. Muscle Cramps – from improper lifting.

5. Hazardous Chemical – Breathing problems and burns from the use of hazardous chemicals and detergents.

6. Electrocution – from live electric wires and improper maintenance or use of equipment.

7. Injuries – due to improper work habits.

Proper Work Habits Smoke in designated areas only and

never in the elevator. Ensure that elevators are not overloaded

and keep to the limits as indicated in the cabin.

Use the correct equipment and accessories for cleaning.

Do not operate equipment when not trained.

Use accessories like gloves, masks, and goggles when dealing with toxic material.

Use ladders, not crates and boxes, for climbing.

Look for broken glass when cleaning. Dispose it in broken glass or razor blades.

Use the handrails while climbing steps. Untangle cords of equipment before use

and keep them away from pathways. Report any safety hazards if they cannot

be rectified by the self. Rely on maintenance to complete fixing

jobs. They are the experts. Check equipment for serviceability.

SUPERVISOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS

SAFETY1. Prepare a safety manual that is

read and understood at the time of induction of new employees.

2. Paste safety rules on walls at strategic points in the work areas.

3. Reinforce safety rules in daily briefings.

4. Ensure that all equipments bought have the ISI stamp of safety and reliability.

5. Organise continuous safety training. Involve experts like the equipment manufacturers; occupational safety department of the government; fire safety officials; and the municipal health department.

6. Build safety into all job descriptions.

7. Have a preventive maintenance programme for all equipment.

8. Include safety inspection in the supervisor’s daily cleaning checklist.

9. Declare rooms and public areas unsafe for sure till safety faults are rectified.

10. Make sure that safety equipment and accessories are always in stock.

11. Ensure that toxic chemicals are stored in closed cupboards and properly labelled.

12. Ensure that all waste disposal containers are leak proof and maintained in sanitary conditions. Waste disposal external to the building must be in designated municipal areas and with concern for public health.

13. Make sure that locker rooms have proper washing and shower facilities, with adequate supply of soap and towels. Locker rooms must be kept clean and dry at all times.

14. Ensure that employees consume food and beverage in the staff canteens and not the public areas.

15. Keep a timetable that ensures rest breaks for employees during their shift vigil.

16. Keep appropriate signs at hand to caution guests and employees towards safety. Signs include caution signs like “Wet floor”, labels for detergents and toxic material; safety instructions on equipment.

#3

FIRST AID

- It is important for all employees to know about first aid as they could be the first ones on the spot to give immediate attention to a guest or employee. It is part of the overall safety programme. Many hotels organise training classes. Large hotels may have their own basic clinic with a qualified nurse. The first step is to have a first aid cupboard or box in a central location in each department. The cupboard could be located at the desk control room; reservation back-office; chef’s office; engineering control room; bell-desk; etc. For easy accessibility.

Cupboard (ka-bord)

Cupboard should be cool, dry, and clearly captioned for easy identification.

The cupboard normally contains the following items:

1. Clinical Thermometer

2. Bandage roll ½”, 1”, and 2”

3. Sterilised Gauze

4. Bed Pan and Urine Bottle

5. SAFETY PINS

6. Tincture Benzoin

- is often applied to skin before applying tape or other adhesive bandages.

7. Dettol

8. Crocin Tablets

9. Mercurochrome

10. Antiseptic Creams

11. Cotton Wool

12. Adhesive Dressings (Band-aids)

13. Tweezers

14. Rubber Sheeting

15. Tincture Iodine

used both to disinfect wounds and to sanitize surface water for drinking.

16. Junction Violet Solution

17. Burnol or Furacin

18. Fruit Salt

19. Aspirins

FIRST AID STEPS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. Fracture

(a) Immobilise both limbs by tying both legs and the arms across the body respectively.

(b) An alternative is to get two boards and tie legs/ arms between them.

(c) Send for the doctor.

6. Heart Attack

(a) Call for a doctor immediately.

(b) Do not move person from the room.

(c) Clear the room of people.(d) If critical, try artificial respiration by mouth-to-mouth method.

7. Object is Eye (a) Do not rub the eye. (b) Use an eye bath with warm water to rinse

the eye. (c) If no improvement is noticed, check eye

against the light and locate foreign matter. Remove it with the corner of a clear handkerchief.

(d) If foreign matter is embedded in the eyeball do not try to pick it out. Drop two drops of castor oil in the eye, cover the eye with a soft pad, bandage lightly and take to a doctor.

8. Sprain

(a) Apply dry bandage firmly wrapped round the affected part and soak with cold water.

(b) Rest the limb.

9. Shock(a) Rest the patient by laying him or her on a couch

(b) Loosen clothing.(c) Give warmth with hot beverage and hot water bottle.

(d) Keep the surrounding area silent.

Local Occupational Hazard Authorities issue certain rules and processes:

1. Employers have to build in the safety guidelines issued by the authorities and sign a declaration of compliance. Authorities make announced and unannounced inspections to ensure this on a continuous basis.

2. Employers have to declare the person/s who are responsible for implementing and monitoring the safety rules set by the authority.

3. Employers have to declare the job positions that are exposed to hazards. They have to write the safety procedures for these positions.

4. Employers must keep records of accidents and illnesses caused by occupational hazards that will be studied by the authority’s compliance officers.

5. Employers must permit inspections announced or unannounced to the authority’s inspectors.

6. Employers must inform the concerned employees about the hazards in their jobs.

7. Employers must declare the chemicals and detergents stored in their property as also their storage conditions. They must keep physical inventories and dates of issue. Chemicals include detergents alkali, emulsifiers for degreasing, flammable material like polishes and cleaners, fungicides, adhesive materials and pesticides.

8. Employers must label all such toxic materials and mark them with the symbol “X”.

9. Employers must procure safety manuals from manufacturers and make them available to employees.

10. Employers must conduct safety training programmes and keep records of all such training for inspection. They must list the names of all employees who go through these training programmes.

11. Employers must display safety signboards and safety instructions in prominent places. Some of these displays are provided by the authority itself.

12. Manufacturers must supply the employer with details of ingredients in chemicals supplied. They must also mention the potential hazards on users, e.g. Health, fire, explosive, radiation, etc. And safety precautions to be taken.

#4

FIRE PREVENTION

Fire prevention includes those steps that are taken to ensure that fire does not occur. One of the most important requirements for fire prevention is good housekeeping.

The chief engineer, on the other hand, is the chief fire officer to fight fire in the hotel. He lends support in fire prevention by organising and supervising fire drills for all staff. He is responsible for the fire fighting equipment and training his maintenance team to work as fire patrols as well as fire-fighters.

Fire Prevention Methods:

Stairs – In most hotels, the stairways used as the service stairway is also the fire escape stairway.

Care of Fire Extinguishers – Fire extinguishers may be rarely or never used. However, when they are needed, it is an emergency, and they must always be in working order.

Fire Regulations – These regulations should be printed, framed, and posted adjacent to every extinguisher and on service landings and personnel locker rooms.

Fire Prevention Methods:

Fire Detection Systems – All hotels nowadays have to comply with fire safety regulations. This requires certain equipment to be installed as also people training.

Different methods of detecting and dealing with fire:

*Fire Alarm Systems*Smoke Detection Systems*Sprinkler Systems

Fire Prevention Methods:

Fire Doors – Fire doors are provided, especially in long corridors, to seal off a section of corridor affected by fire.

Fire Drills – The HR department and the maintenance department should create an internal fire brigade around employees.

Fire Protection Checklist – The manager of each hotel should either personally supervise the use of a Fire Protection Checklist or delegate the responsibility for examining the checklist after the engineering department has made a survey.

Fire Fighting:

Classification of Fires: Class A – Fires occurring in ordinary dry

combustible materials such as wood, textiles, paper, rubbish, etc. These fires, the quenching and cooling effect of all quantities of water or solutions containing a high percentage of water are of first importance.

Class B – Fires caused by inflammable liquids such as oils, grease, petrol, chemicals, etc.

Class C – Fires caused by electrical equipment and short-circuits that require non-conductive agent extinguishing them.

Fire Fighting: Types of extinguishers

Class A Fires – require soda acid extinguishers, which eject water under gaseous pressure when they are inverted. They involve fires of wood and paper materials.

Class B Fires – require carbon dioxide fog or foam extinguishers for liquid, grease, and oil fires.

Class C Fires – require carbon dioxide fog as the preferred extinguishing agent since it is non conductive. This is used for electrical fires.

Fire Fighting:

Distribution of extinguishers Class One Extinguishers – These are placed in

areas of light occupancy such as offices or light. There should be one fire extinguisher for every 5000 square feet.

Class Two Extinguishers – Located in high occupancy, where fires of a broader extent may be anticipated, such as kitchens, boiler rooms, etc.

Class Three Extinguishers – Positioned in hazardous work areas such as woodworking shops, upholstery shops, paint shops, etc.

Suggested Procedure Close windows and doors of the room in which the fire

has started; Ascertain the extent and seriousness of the fire; Ring the fire alarm box or call switchboard operator for internal assistance; Inform the telephone operator and give a quick accurate description of the location of the fire as well as location of extinguishers.

Employees of the maintenance department should proceed to the location of the fire with extinguishers from their department as rapidly as possible; consider it their duty to remove all combustible or volatile material.

The first consideration must always be for the safety and peace of mind of the guests. If the fire is in a guest’s room, the guest should be evacuated immediately. It is recommended that the emergency stairs be used for evacuating guests.

#5

Workplace Emergency