“Anybody who runs a hotel has to be crazy,” Davis said, not to address any problems that can lead to injuries among employees because of the implication for worker’s compensation.
Hyatt housekeepers had the highest risk of injury, according to the study. The lowest risk were with the Hilton chain. The problem is housekeepers are prone to repetitive-stress injuries from continually doing such things as changing sheets, washing bathroom floors and vacuuming.
Service workers, especially hotel housekeepers, have higher rates of on-the-job injuries, according to a report in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
The 2009 study analyzed injury records from 2003-05 at 50 hotels operated by the top-five hotel companies. Jobs studied included housekeepers, dishwashers, kitchen workers and banquet servers, representing 46 percent of the study population.
Since the study came out, the hotel industry nationwide has been looking at new ways to reduce injuries. Some properties have added extra employees for housekeepers don’t have to do heavy lifting.
