How many years you’re working for company?

How many times you get hurt?

How many times you quit a job because work that gave you its danger?

Is that safety is important? Even for hotel worker?

Ask manager, Boss, Supervisor if you get injured who is liability for it and who is going to emotionally suffer with you?

Who is going to take care about your family if you were completely paralyzed or die?

Let’s start to speak what is safety of worker

As a hotel and motel service worker, every hotelier understood that we are providing hospitality and service to travellers. It doesn’t matter you’re a room cleaner, maintenance worker or desk clerk, Lifeguards, engineer, even as general Manger you’re help to ensure that hotel operations run smoothly and meet customers’ expectations.

But, in order to keep your hotel functioning at its best, you must want to ensure that you stay safe and healthy on your job. Still at most place most of time employees and employers are not consider what the exact cause of and exact loose of money and time if someone not in good health condition for work their best.

Specially employees are ill or sick the hotel and motel cannot provide mean hospitality and service to the traveller. Also loosing or dispatching the good workers and hiring and educated staff again and again will be cost on annual turnover. As per my experience in many years in hotel field I have been observed that biggest risk for hotel workers is ergonomic injury from sprains, strains, and repetitive work.

For been as a safe workers and for save money at your work place (hotel or motel) you can protect your back and limbs by practicing safe ergonomic principles when performing your daily job functions. Always remember to maintain neutral postures and rotate your tasks to give different muscles a rest.

Limit the tasks that you do on your knees, over your head or with your back bent.

Stop carrying over weight goods, when wiping down mirrors and surfaces, alternate arms and use slow, deliberate movements to avoid straining your muscles. Choose long-handled tools for vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing, and wiping. Take breaks every 20-30 minutes to give your muscles a rest.

Moving heavy, bulky, room furnishings, doing maintenance work or working the front desk can cause injury if the work is improperly. Use good lifting techniques and work practices to protect your back. Keep your back straight and neutral while you work. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes to help you move freely. Avoid overreaching. Use your leg muscles to lift. Lift smaller, lighter loads or get help when you need to move heavy equipment or materials. And, use anti-fatigue mats when you will be standing in one place for a long time.

Also Read the label and or material safety data sheets (MSDS) to know the hazards and safe work practices for the chemical products you use. Ask your manager, supervisor where you can get training for yourself about job safety analyse. Don’t ever compromise the safety. If you do not have proper PPE’s reports to the line manger think twice before you start some work will be danger yourself. Always choose and use the mildest cleansers and chemicals possible that will still get the job done. After the job wash your hands with soap and water before eating, drinking, or smoking. You should wear recommended gloves while cleaning and performing plumbing jobs and be aware of exposures to body fluids specially if you’re giving someone a first Aid, drugs.

NEVER reach into a garbage can and do not stomp on garbage to compact it May the garbage can has disposable BIO Hazard, some one left there.

Get training and always inspect your tools before use. Tools can cause injury if they are not used correctly. Maintain your tools wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) including work gloves, safety glasses, and hearing protection when the hazard requires it. Remember to put in regular schedule to inspect all equipment electrical cords for good condition to avoid the risk of electrical shock. Use safety guideline when you are working with electrical systems and be sure to lock out or tag out powered equipment or wiring that needs service. If you encounter unavoidable situation that you do not understand don’t perform that job further

At many place different height of Ladders are commonly used to perform maintenance like wash windows, and change light bulbs practice ladder safety by climbing properly while holding on to the rails with both hands. Avoid reaching to the side of the ladder; climb down and re-position it if you need to. NEVER step on the top step of a ladder remember to have on helmet also ask you supervisor for watch your back and don’t work alone.

If you’re tired, exhausted don’t Rushing on the job it can be lead to accidents, especially on newly mopped or waxed floors. Slips on wet surfaces in bathrooms, kitchens, and lobby floors can cause serious injuries. To avoid kind of these hazards clean up spills immediately and mark wet floor hazards with signs. Wear shoes with non-slip soles, take your time, and watch where you’re going. Don’t ever imagine by the double work you can get promotion and good reputation from your work place. Always its can highly recommend remember the ‘DUTY OF CARE’ and do your work best. Do you know many workers has lost their life middle of work place tragedy hence ignorance or overactive or rushing.

As hoteliers you perform different job tasks and may face varied hazards, remember you need to practice good ergonomics, stick to safety rule, use proper tools and protective equipment, and follow all safe work practices.

O.W.Palitha Ariyarathna

Note: The above evaluations and or recommendations are have wrote by me for general guidance only and should not be relied upon for legal compliance purposes. They are based solely on the incident that I experience and information provided to me by some co-workers that cross contact the danger. This letter relate only to those conditions specifically discussed. I do not make any warranty, expressed or implied, that your workplace is safe or healthful or that it complies with all laws, regulations or standards.

More information:

The hotels and restaurant sector includes a range of tasks and jobs that pose diff

erent risks. The complexity of the sector makes it difficult to present an exhaustive view of

the situation. Much attention goes towards working in kitchens and to a lesser extent, to waiting staff Supporting activities such as cleaning jobs, goods supply, etc. are randomly represented in scientific c literature

Preventing on-the-job injury and disease is the first priority of the

Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of British Columbia.

http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/reports/focus_reports/assets/pdf/focushotel.pdf

Studies show that hotel workers have an injury rate 25% higher than all service workers

http://www.hotelworkersrising.org/injuries/