Category Archives: Injuries

by | May 27, 2010 · 5:19 am

Hospitality Industry Workers’ Compensation Risks: Hotel Owner Forced To Pay Large Settlement For Failing To Provide Injured Night Clerk With Workers’ Comp Insurance

“…secured a seven figure settlement against a prominent hotel chain after they failed to provide Workers’ Compensation to their night clerk who was injured in the course of employment…”

“…The hotel owner knowingly employed the clerk as an undocumented worker and was paying the clerk cash “under the table” without securing Workers’ Compensation insurance…”

The employee was injured when he went to investigate a complaint of noise coming from a hotel room and was brutally attacked by the occupants of the room.

 As part of the settlement the hotel chain was forced to take complete financial responsibility for their attempts to circumvent California labor laws. “We want our clients to be fairly compensated for injuries suffered at the hands of business owners who try to bend the rules, and we will leave no stone unturned when an employer tries to take advantage of his employees to save money and line his/her own pockets” said attorney McMahon.

For more:   http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/37680-1274803334-san-jose-law-firm-of-corsiglia-mcmahon-allard-resolves-5-personal-injuryemployer-liability-cases.html

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by | May 21, 2010 · 5:48 am

Hotel Pool And Spa Health And Safety: Pool Inspection Data Reveal That Failure To Maintain Disinfectant And pH Levels Are Serious Code Violations And Put Guest Health At Risk

“…hotel/motel pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (….12.8%)..”

“…The most frequently reported type of recreational water illness (RWI) outbreak is gastroenteritis, the incidence of which is increasing…”

“…Of 111,487 inspections, 13,532 (12.1%) resulted in immediate closure because of serious violations (e.g., lack of disinfectant in the water)…”

Prevention of RWIs at treated venues requires pool operators to 1) maintain appropriate disinfectant and pH levels to maximize disinfectant effectiveness and 2) ensure optimal water circulation and filtration. Pool codes, promulgated by individual state or local public health agencies, govern pool operation.

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by | May 17, 2010 · 4:07 am

Hotel And Resort Spa Health Risks: Massage And Foot Treatments Can Expose Guests To Infections And Health Risks

“…While most of today’s spas promise to restore, refresh, and renew — and some offer even more explicit health claims — they generally don’t warn you of the potential risks involved. But they do exist. Certain spa treatments can worsen chronic and acute health conditions. All spas can pose risks to the general public, particularly when operated in a state of uncleanliness…”

(From a CBSNews.com article)

  •  People with diabetes need to take extra precautions when getting foot treatments. “Any break in the skin, potentially from aggressive trimming of a callous or cuticle, can increase the risk of foot infections called cellulitis,” says Sharon Horesh, MD, an internal medicine doctor with Emory University’s department of medicine.
  • When it comes to massage, experts say that the degree of risk involved depends on the type of touch applied. “The most important adaptation for chronic disease, like cancer, is touch level,” says Kathleen Clayton, a licensed massage therapist and spokeswoman for the American Massage Therapy Association. 
  • “…all potential massage-goers to receive massages only from licensed massage therapists….”
  • “In the second and third trimesters, women should specifically seek a pregnancy massage therapist and avoid massage techniques that involve long strokes along the legs or pressure between the ankle and heels,” Horesh tells WebMD.  There’s good reason to heed this advice. “There’s always a chance that it might make the baby dislodge, or induce premature labor,” explains Clayton.

     http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/15/health/webmd/main1128859.shtml

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by | May 14, 2010 · 2:35 am

Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risks: Hotel Housekeepers Have “Higher Rates Of On-The-Job Injuries” According To Medical Journal

“…hotel employees — and especially housekeepers — have higher rates of on-the-job injuries, according to a report last year in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine…”

"...hotel employees — and especially housekeepers — have higher rates of on-the-job injuries, according to a report last year in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine..."

Housekeepers are prone to repetitive stress injuries from such continual work as changing sheets, washing bathroom floors and vacuuming, according to nine researchers who studied three years of government-required accident logs at five union-represented hotels.

(From a Chron.com article)    More surprising, however, is that Hispanic housekeepers had a proportionally higher rate of injuries than non-Hispanic cleaners, according to the study. The research didn’t address possible explanations for that.

The research was funded by the union Unite Here, which represents hospitality employees, but the problem also has captured the attention of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

It recently hosted a conference in Houston on health and safety issues facing Latino workers.

While OSHA doesn’t have a specific ergonomic standard — it was repealed by Congress in 2001 before it was scheduled to go into effect — the agency has the “general duty clause” as an enforcement tool. It requires that employers provide a safe and healthy place to work, Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, said in a telephone interview.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/sixel/7002756.html

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