Category Archives: Health

by | May 13, 2011 · 8:11 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Kentucky Hotels "Annual Inspection Reports" Are Now Posted "Online" With Scores And Violations Easily Accessed

Scores from annual inspections of more than 70 Northern Kentucky hotels and motels can now be found online.

Information on the inspection process, along with the scores, can be viewed on the Northern Kentucky Health Department’s website.

CLICK ON "INSPECTIONS" TO VIEW ONLINE INSPECTION REPORTS

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by | May 11, 2011 · 2:24 pm

Hospitality Industry Employee Issues: California Legislature Considers Legislation To Require "Fitted Bed Sheets" To Reduce Housekeeping Injuries But Costs To Hotels Would Be Significant

“…Supporters of the bill argue it will reduce worker injuries by eliminating the need for workers to repetitively lift extremely heavy mattresses when making beds…”

“… They contend that flat sheets cause workers to strain their backs, shoulders and wrists, and are often responsible for repetitive motion injuries…” 

“..But the California Hotel and Lodging Association says replacing existing sheets to comply with the bill could cost between $30 million and $50 million…”

“…Hotel operators argue they will need to purchase new equipment in order to launder the fitted sheets. They also say fitted sheets will have to be replaced more often, that the elastic in fitted sheets breaks down faster than fabric, and that fitted sheets cost more to iron, fold and store…”

The California Legislature is considering a bill that would regulate what type of sheets can be used on hotel bed mattresses across the state. State Bill 432, sponsored by Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), also calls for the use of long-handled tools like mops and dusters so housekeepers do not have to get down on their hands and knees to clean bathroom floors.

“Just by using fitted sheets you could cut the number of lifts in half, and we think that would go a long way in preventing worker injury,” said Leigh Shelton, a spokesperson for UNITE HERE, a union that represents California hospitality workers.

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by | May 9, 2011 · 10:31 am

Hospitality Industry Pool Illness Risks: Budget Deficits Risk Shutdown Of State-Run "Public Pool And Spa Inspection Programs" Putting Guests At Risk And Raising Insurance Premiums

“…it’s important that pool operators and owners of public pools in this state know that there is someone looking over their shoulder, however benign that eye may be…”

The lone state inspector, Tim Wilson, also reviews construction plans and educating operators, builders and others in the industry on the federal law, intended to prevent injury and death from improperly installed drains.

“…South Carolina considered shutting down its program several years ago because of budget problems, but the hotel and motel industry pushed to keep it to avoid increased insurance costs…The state implemented fees to support the program..”

Resort owner Peter Spanos doesn’t support big government regulations but fears a proposal to eliminate New Hampshire’s public pool and spa inspection program will mean more pool-related illnesses in a state that receives 34 million visits annually. Spanos, owner of the Shalimar Resort on Lake Winnisquam in Tilton, said that wouldn’t be good for New Hampshire’s image or his business.

The House budget cut would save $139,000. Environmental Services Commissioner Thomas Burack said without the program, people would be at greater risk of gastric illnesses and lung, skin and eye infections. New Hampshire appears to be unique in using this budget-cutting measure, and some question whether it would tarnish the state’s reputation and hurt its $4 billion tourism industry.

New Hampshire inspects nearly 1,400 public pools and spas. In the last five years, the state reported 2,211 water quality violations; 313 bacterial and 725 safety, with 224 immediate closures. Manchester, Nashua, Bedford and Merrimack do their own inspections.

For more:  http://www2.wjtv.com/lifestyles/2011/may/08/cut-would-eliminate-nhs-pool-inspection-program-ar-1817932/

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by | May 2, 2011 · 4:05 pm

Hospitality Industry Workers' Comp Issues: State Of Illinois Seriously Reviews Employee Awards, Employer Liability And Injury Review Standards

“…In just one example of how Illinois’ system is abused, a hotel maid recently was awarded a $42,500 claim for carpal tunnel after working less than 30 days and 180 hours at a Springfield hotel…”

  • The workplace should be the primary cause of the injury or aggravation of the previously existing condition
  • Employers should not be on the hook financially for injuries that occurred outside of the workplace or in the course of previous employment
  • Health care providers should use nationally recognized American Medical Association and utilization review standards when determining a person’s impairment and treatment following an injury
  • These AMA standards are used in more than three dozen states across the United States and provide a measure of objectivity
  • Workers who are injured while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol should not be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits
  • The only exception would be if they can provide that the workplace caused the injury
  • Illinois should limit “wage differential” awards that are currently paid for life
  • These monetary awards are designed to make up the difference between an employee’s pay before and after an injury and were never intended to be paid past retirement age

Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2011/05/01/1690712/guest-view-its-time-to-get-workers.html#ixzz1LJ1LGtpZ

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by | May 1, 2011 · 8:38 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Maryland Hotel Guests Evacuated After Dangerous Levels Of Carbon Monoxide Are Generated By An "Improperly Functioning Pool Heater"

“…An improperly functioning pool heater was found to be generating the gas, and it was shut down…”

“…Monitoring equipment detected high levels of poisonous carbon monoxide gas in the air, prompting authorities to evacuate 30 motel occupants and take 11 of them to hospitals in Laurel and Columbia. All were released after evaluation…”

A Howard County motel was temporarily evacuated Saturday night after rescue personnel discovered high levels of potentially lethal carbon monoxide there, a county fire and rescue spokesman said.

Responders were called to the Sleep Inn on Second Street in North Laurel about 8:32 p.m. to check a report of a possible chemical leak, and found five children complaining of headaches and nausea, according to Battalion Chief Eric D. Proctor.

All the motel’s occupants were allowed to return to their rooms after the building was ventilated.

For more:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/bs-md-ho-motel-carbon-0501,0,3364397.story

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by | April 26, 2011 · 6:09 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Bed Bug Infestations Are Best Treated With "Thermal Remediation" With "Steam Treatments" Being A Good First Step

Bed Beg infestations at hotels can result in guilty verdicts against hotel owners if conscious and deliberate behavior led to infestations going untreated.

Bed bugs are very sensitive to heat in all stages of their development. The thermal death point for the common bedbug is 115°F. There are two common types of heat treatment for bed bug eradication, steam and thermal remediation. 
 

  • Steam -  Steam is very effective at killing bugs on contact and requires no harmful chemicals. A trained hotel staff member, a commercial steam cleaner, or pest management professional can perform the task however, all areas of the infested room need to be cleaned. If hard to reach areas are missed, an infestation can reoccur. The cost per room for steam cleaning can be inexpensive.
  •  The drawbacks: no residual effect, high pressure steam can blow adults and eggs from their hiding places before the heat has had a chance to kill, and steam is not 100% effective if areas are missed.
  • Thermal Remediation – Propane generated heat or electric heaters are used to raise the temperature inside the room to approximately 140°F. The heat is monitored by sensors and circulated within affected guest rooms for several hours. Controlled application of heat ensures there are no cold spots. Higher temperatures do not mean a more effective treatment, but can actually cause damage to the guest room and its contents. If employed correctly, thermal remediation is the only 100% effective solution at eliminating all bed bugs and their eggs
  •  The drawback: A typical treatment for multiple rooms can be expensive and time consuming (6-8 hours).

The following are good first steps:

VACUUMING – If an infestation is discovered in a guestroom, vacuuming the preferred hiding spaces, such as box springs and mattress seams can eliminate the immediate threat by removing the adult bed bugs. This is one of least expensive green options and can be performed by in-house housekeeping staff. However, it is not 100% effective. Bed bug eggs are coated with a sticky surface to keep them where they are laid. It is very difficult to remove them from their hiding places. Vacuuming is a good first step, but it only postpones inevitable reemergence if it is the only option employed.    
 
ALL NATURAL & ESSENTIAL OIL INSECTICIDES – In many instances commercial exterminating agents may contain neurotoxins and other dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to sensitive populations. As an alternative, ask your Pest Management Professional (PMP) about non-toxic exterminating agents. Most botanical insecticides made with essential oils can be just as effective as conventional insecticides. Examples of essential oils are peppermint oil, clove oil, citrus oils, lavender oil, thyme oil, and rosemary oil. 
 
All-natural insecticides are employed as knock down and residual sprays. The knock down sprays kill on contact. The residual sprays are designed to interfere with the lifecycle to kill over a number of days. The costs of all-natural alternatives are in-line with traditional chemicals in most cases. Both applications have minor drawbacks. Knock down sprays are not effective against bugs that are not sprayed directly. Hidden bugs can re-colonize a guest room quick. Due to their natural composition residual sprays evaporate faster than traditional commercially applied chemicals, thus losing killing power. All-natural residuals need more frequent applications by a PMP to maintain effectiveness.   
 
For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article54337.html

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by | April 22, 2011 · 7:14 am

Hospitality Industry Pool Risks: Pennsylvania Hotel "Alcohol-Related" Hot Tub Death Highlights Dangers Of "After-Hours" Usage Of Pool And Hot Tub Rooms

“Management is now considering whether to prevent guests from being able to enter the room after hours…”

“…Hotel guests must use a plastic keycard to unlock a door to access the pool and hot tub room…Rules posted clearly on the door say it is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and guests use the pool and hot tub “at their own risk,” 

Authorities have identified John Saviello, 42, of Bridgeport, Montgomery County, as the man who died after being found unresponsive in a city hotel hot tub.

Mr. Saviello’s death Wednesday morning was ruled accidental, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center after being found in a hot tub at the Clarion Hotel on Meadow Avenue.

Mr. Saviello graduated from the University of Scranton in 1992, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, university spokesman Stan M. Zygmunt said.

Why he was staying at the hotel or visiting the area was not clear on Thursday.

Authorities have not yet identified a 45-year-old woman who also was found unresponsive and intoxicated in the hot tub. She was OK after being taken to Community Medical Center, Scranton Police Chief Dan Duffy said.

Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said after an autopsy that the use of drugs and alcohol might have led to Mr. Saviello’s death, but results of a toxicology report will take several weeks.

In the hotel lobby on Thursday, assistant general manager Mark D’Angelo said the staff will review safety procedures in light of the incident.

“It’s a tragedy,” Mr. D’Angelo said. “We do have to learn from it, if there are any precautions we have to take.”

Hotel guests must use a plastic keycard to unlock a door to access the pool and hot tub room, Mr. D’Angelo said. Rules posted clearly on the door say it is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and guests use the pool and hot tub “at their own risk,” he said.

Management is now considering whether to prevent guests from being able to enter the room after hours, Mr. D’Angelo said.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/victim-identified-in-hot-tub-drowning-1.1136101#ixzz1KGRJb400

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by | April 19, 2011 · 5:16 pm

Hospitality Industry Guest Health Risks: Hotel Management Must Remain Proactive In "Bed Bug Infestation" Prevention Through Use Of Professionals, "Good Passive Monitoring" And Detailed Action Plans

Trip Advisor, Bed Bug Registry, Bed Bug Database and other websites allow users to upload and track bed bug sightings and encounters online.

Bed Beg infestations at hotels can result in guilty verdicts against hotel owners if conscious and deliberate behavior led to infestations going untreated.

There is even a Bed Bug iPhone App that was launched late 2010.  

There are a number of proactive approaches that can be implemented to lessen their impact on your operations when they arrive. EcoGreenHotel spoke with Michael Merchant, PhD an urban entomologist for the Texas AgriLife Extension in Dallas to discuss ways to reduce your risk:
 

  1. Work with a Pest Management Professional (PMP) that has experience combating Bed bugs. Rely on the PMP’s experience and knowledge to guide you through all of the steps needed to prevent or eradicate an infestation. Bed bugs are complicated pests and are resistant to many traditional chemicals and treatment protocols.  An over-the-counter chemical remedy applied by an untrained hotel staff member could be a recipe for disaster.
  2. Employ good passive monitoring in your guest rooms. Glue or deadfall traps allow hotel owners to identify potential problems quickly and without great expense. If bed bugs are spotted in a trap, a well-trained PMP can quickly identify if the infestation is limited to one room or if it has spread to adjacent rooms. Canine units trained to detect bugs can also be brought in to help identify the extent of the infestation.
  3. Develop a bed bug action plan to educate all hotel staff members what to look for in the guest rooms and how to react quickly and effectively if a guest makes a complaint in person or online. Simple visual inspections by trained housekeepers looking at sheets, mattresses and other hiding areas is an inexpensive first line of defense.
  4. Use of mattress, pillow and box-spring encasements effectively eliminates the most common breeding grounds. A typical encasement set for a king bed can be purchased for around $150. It is extremely important that the mattress encasement be placed on both the mattress and the box springs. Encasements can also help eliminate allergens and dust mites that improve indoor air quality in your green hotel.
  5. Until a nationwide eradication strategy is implemented, we will continue to see this epidemic in hotels and other lodging facilities, homes, movie theaters, dormitories, and all of the other uninviting areas they reside nationwide. Hotels will definitely be subjected to bed bugs arriving with guests on a continual basis. The problem will not go away without a fight.

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article54128.html

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by | April 13, 2011 · 9:31 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Health Risks: Major Hotel Sued In New York Supreme Court Over "Legionnaires' Disease Contracted At Dubai Hotel

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is facing a $16.7m (AED61.3m) lawsuit in the US after two guests staying at the Westin Mina Seyahi in Dubai claim they caught legionnaires disease at the property.

The paper reported that Nogues started to feel weak and feverish two days after checking into the hotel with her son and a friend on February 14. With her health deteriorating, she returned to France on February 21 where she was also diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease.

The suit claims that Thomas Boyle, from Britain, and Elodie Nogues, from France, contracted the disease after staying at the Westin in January and February of 2009, according to a report in The National.

It claims the health of the pair deteriorated rapidly and resulted in hospital stays.

The disease is a form of pneumonia spread through airborne water droplets, which thrives in water and air-conditioning systems.

For more:  http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-hotel-faces-16-7m-lawsuit-over-legionnaires-393411.html

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by | April 8, 2011 · 10:53 am

Hospitality Industry Health Insurance: Law Firms Advise Hotel Ownership And Management To Prepare For Implementation Of Health Care Reform With "Wellness Programs" And State-Run "Insurance Exchanges" On The Way

Given the legal challenges to the proposed reform of the United States health care industry, there might be a temptation on the part of hoteliers to take a laid-back attitude toward preparing for the changes. That line of thinking, however, would be a mistake, said Scott Sinder, a partner in the Steptoe & Johnson law firm government affairs and public policy practice.

  • One of the biggest issues hotel companies will have to wrestle with will be whether to retain grandfather status, which refers to plans in place prior to 23 March 2010
  • Grandfathered plans, for example, can allow for changes to the network of providers but cannot impose new or decreased annual spending limits
  • The potential introduction of a wellness provision that provides funding for employers to establish wellness programs…will be the biggest key to keeping health-care costs down
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that just 38% of the employees in the hospitality sector had access to health care as of March 2010 compared with 71% across all industries
  • Every state will eventually have an Insurance Exchange as most state lawsuits against health care reform will be settled before Presidential Election

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/5314/Hoteliers-should-assume-health-care-changes

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