Category Archives: Insurance

Hotel Industry Insurance: “Business Interruption Insurance” Benefits Are Dependent On Comprehensive Documentation Of Revenues And Profits

“…to recoup business interruption benefits from their insurance companies, we have found certain pieces of hotel data and documents to be extremely useful in our calculations of lost revenues and profits. The following is a partial list of reports (effective the day of the catastrophic event) that should be gathered and preserved by management:…”

  • Five-year history of competitive position reports (i.e. STR report), including current year-to-date.
  • Five-year history of your annual hotel financial statements, including current year-to-date.
  • Budgeted performance for the remainder of the current year.
  • Budgeted performance for the upcoming year.
  • Marketing plan for the current year
  • Marketing plan for the upcoming year
  • Capital improvement plan – current and future years
  • Guaranteed reservations and advance deposit activity.
  • Group contracts
  • Group booking pace for the next 10 years

(From a Hospitality.net article)   Once the historical performance data is gathered from the documents listed above, the next step is to estimate how the hotel would have performed if the catastrophic event had not occurred. To prepare this forecast, we utilize budget, marketing plan, reservation, and group booking information contained in the secured documents. In addition, we rely on the most recent forecast developed prior to the catastrophic event for the subject property’s market.

Using the market forecast as a baseline for future hotel supply, demand, and revenue conditions within the market for the projection period, we then estimate the market penetration of the subject property based on historical correlations to market performance. This provides us with estimates of the potential rooms revenue the subject property would have earned had the catastrophic event not occurred. From these estimates of hotel rooms revenue, we then prepare projections of net operating income (NOI) using historical hotel financial statements from the subject property, as well as data from our firm’s Trends® in the Hotel Industry database.

The calculation of lost business is derived from the difference between the performance of the subject property estimated under the “no catastrophic event” scenario, and the data from the actual performance of the hotel during the projection period. Estimates can be made for lost room nights, revenue, and hotel NOI.

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4046598.search?query=hotel+insurance

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Hotel Pool Spa Health Risks: Legionaires Disease And Pontiac Fever Outbreaks Associated With “Poorly Maintained” Pools And Spas

“…a combined outbreak of Pontiac fever and legionnaires disease at a hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, associated with exposure to a poorly maintained hot tub. Ninety‐five percent of the mostly adolescent 107 ill people had Pontiac fever, and the remainder had legionnaires disease.”

Most aerosolized sources of bacterial‐contaminated warm water, including whirlpool spas, warm spring pools, decorative fountains, cooling towers, and industrial cleaning systems that use high‐pressure water, have been linked to outbreaks of Pontiac fever.

Because the hot tub had been heavily disinfected before analysis by investigators, the results of hot tub water cultures were negative, but the results of PCR for L. pneumophila were positive. As in many outbreaks, a minority (46%) of persons with Pontiac fever had elevated L. pneumophila antibodies.

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/510394

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California Workers’ Compensation Insurance: Medical Provider Networks Now Account For Over 80% Of Injured Worker Medical Services

The latest data show network providers accounted for 83.1 percent of services in the first 30 days on claims for injuries from the first quarter of AY 2009, and 67.4 percent of the post-30 day services rendered on AY 2008 claims.

(From a CWCI.org release)   A new California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) study shows the percentage of medical services to injured workers delivered by network physicians jumped sharply immediately after Medical Provider Networks (MPNs) were introduced into the workers’ compensation system in 2005, and that both the network utilization rate and the percentage of workers’ compensation medical dollars paid to network providers have continued to climb over the past five years.

Using first-year medical service data from 891,918 California workers’ compensation claims with 2004-2009 injury dates, CWCI measured the percentage of injured worker outpatient medical services rendered by network providers before and after MPNs began operations in January 2005. The results show that the network utilization rate rose from less than half of first-year physician-based services for 2004 job injuries to nearly 2/3 of the services for 2005 injuries – the first claims in which treatment in the initial 12 months could have shifted to MPNs. Furthermore, the data show that the trend toward the use of networks has continued, with network providers accounting for nearly ¾ of physician-based services for 2008 injury claims.

 http://www.cwci.org/press_release.html?id=164

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Hospitality Industry Health Insurance: New Health Care Law Puts Restaurants, With A Higher Percentage Of Unskilled And Part-Time Workers, At A Disadvantage In Finding Cost-Effective Health Insurance

The new health care law will make it far harder for the restaurant and retail sectors, the primary employers of part-time and low-skill workers, to operate. 
 
Restaurants and drugstores that are open 24 hours a day will be disadvantaged, because they need several shifts of workers to stay open.
 
Firms with more than 50 workers will have to offer the right kind of health insurance, costing no more than 9.5% of the employee’s income, or pay a $2,000 penalty.
 
This will give small restaurants and stores a substantial cost advantage.  It will wreak havoc with franchisees, who frequently own groups of small establishments.  
 
 
(From a GLGroup.com article)   In 2009, 50% of restaurant employees and 36% of retail employees worked part-time, i.e. under 35 hours per week. A higher percentage of women, 58% in the restaurant industry and 44% in the retail industry, work part-time.  
 
With higher-skill jobs, employers can offer the required benefits and pay for them by cutting the wage. But low-wage jobs in the restaurant and retail sectors leave little room for cuts in wages.
 
So firms will have an incentive to become more automated, or machinery-intensive—and hire fewer workers.  Fast food restaurants could ship in more food and have it reheated, rather than cooking it on the premises. Department stores could have fewer sales clerks and more price-scanning stations, so that shoppers could scan labels for prices rather than asking sales assistants.
 
 

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Filed under Health, Insurance

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Hotel Surveillance Cameras And Guest “Identification” Procedures Are Best Deterrent To Property Theft

Gordon called the April 3 thefts at the Hampton Inns “very brazen, and quite frankly stupid,” given that the hotel lobbies have surveillance cameras.

In both cases, Gordon said, Cole checked in using a fake ID and paid in cash. Then he and Harrington left with flat-screens worth more than $1,000 each, Gordon said.

(From an AJC.com article)   Jonathan Cole and Brooke Harrington have been arrested by the Atlanta Police Department, Alpharetta police spokesman George Gordon said Friday.

Police were looking for Cole and Harrington after they hit two Hampton Inns in Alpharetta on a single Saturday. They also are wanted for similar thefts in Gwinnett County and the city of Norcross, Gordon told the AJC.

“We had been looking for them for a while … They hid out really well,” Gordon said. “This was a prolific crew traveling all over metro Atlanta area.”

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atlanta-police-nab-flat-522306.html

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Filed under Crime, Insurance, Liability, Theft, Training

Hotel And Resort Mineral Spa Safety: Risk Of Disease Transmission In Pool Spa Water Tied To Water Filtration Systems

“There’s a risk of disease transmission, there’s a risk of injury, there’s a real risk of death.”

The resort’s pool licence was revoked after inspectors found the water filtration system wasn’t working properly.

The issue lies with the pool’s 23 skimmers, which circulate the water through a central filter.

Engineers say that because of the high amount of minerals in the water, 19 of them are no longer working.

(From a WinnipegFreePress.com article)   There’s a storm a-brewin’ at a luxury resort north of Regina where health inspectors ordered a mineral spa closed this weekend over health and safety concerns.

Dwight Hayter, CEO of the Manitou Springs Hotel and Mineral Spa, said Saturday he’s got “24 layoffs and a hotel full of unhappy guests” on his hands.

“We don’t think this was necessary,” he said, acknowledging there are problems with the spa but insisting he wasn’t given enough time to fix them.

“To have another month, month-and-a-half extension on such an important issue as this, we didn’t think was a stretch.”

But deputy medical health officer John Opondo said the spa has been on probation for more than two years.

“We have been working with them progressively, we’ve had provincial partners involved in a peer review process to really try and bring them into compliance,” said Opondo.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/oddities/luxury-spa-at-saskatchewan-resort-closed-over-health-concerns-92599504.html

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Restaurant Food Safety: Oregon Restaurant Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak Highlights Risks Of Food Contamination And Need For Strict Food Preparation Safety Training

Salmonella, the most prevalent food borne pathogen in this country, is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

Salmonella poisoning can also lead to Reiter’s Syndrome, a difficult-to-treat reactive arthritis characterized by severe joint pain, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. Some Salmonella bacteria are antibiotic resistant, largely due to the use of antibiotics to promote the growth of feed animals.

“….76 million people each year come down with some form of food poisoning; hundreds of thousands are hospitalized and about 5,000 die…”

(From a NewsInferno.com article)   Dawnelle Marshall of the Public Health Division of the Douglas County Health Department said that the source of the outbreak remains unknown and that interviews continue with patrons of the restaurant who visited the establishment during the outbreak period in order to determine the outbreak’s timeline and origin, wrote KPIC.

“We’ve not been able to pinpoint the source, whether that is a food item, whether there is cross-contamination. We have not been able to do that, but we do have sampling that is pending, and those results should be in later this week,” said Marshall. Los Dos Amigos is cooperating in the investigation, added Marshall.

“They’re taking suggestions, they’re sharing information about how they process food, and what they do with foods. So until we know what that source is, it’s hard to evaluate what that potential cause can be,” said Marshall, quoted KPIC.

Marshall also said that some people have fallen very ill with dehydration that required intravenous fluids, reported KPIC.

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/20114

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Hotel Flood Insurance: Gaylord Opryland Resort (Nashville, TN) Purchased Maximum $50 Million Flood Insurance And Is Unsure If Coverage Will Be Sufficient

The $1 billion-plus hotel on the banks of the Cumberland River had $50 million in flood insurance. Asked whether that amount would be enough to cover the damages, Reed said: “Maybe, but we just don’t know.”

That amount was the maximum level of flood insurance Gaylord could buy from any insurer “because we sit next to the Cumberland River,” Reed said. The company had tried to buy more, but couldn’t find any insurer willing to go above $50 million of coverage.

(From a Tennessean.com article)   It could be up to six months before the flooded Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center reopens, and the full extent of damage is still being assessed, Gaylord CEO and Chairman Colin Reed told The Tennessean today.

“We have water in the tunnels; we have no understanding of the damage to the power plant. It could take three months, four months, five months or six months. The fact of the matter is that until we get the water out, we just don’t know,” Reed said.

He also said the hotel’s staff will remain on the payroll for at least the next six weeks and will play a role in helping the vast facility rebound. It’s unclear what happens with people’s pay after that initial period.

A flagship of Nashville’s tourism industry, the Opryland Resort & Convention Center was evacuated Sunday night as floodwaters spilled over the Cumberland River, filling parts of the hotel with 10 feet of water. Electronics systems and other high-tech equipment are at risk.

It will take a week to get floodwater pumped out, Reed said, and by then the company may have a better understanding of the full extent of damages. “Until we’re able to get to the technology, we just don’t know.”

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100506/BUSINESS01/100506076/-1/nsitemapXML/Opryland-hotel-may-be-closed-for-six-months

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Hospitality Industry Workplace Safety: OSHA Considering A Rule Mandating A “Formal Injury And Illness Prevention Program” For Employers

OSHA is considering a proposed rule for a formal Injury and Illness Prevention Program and will hold informal stakeholder meetings on the proposal. The proposal would require employers to develop a formal program to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses through a systematic process that proactively addresses workplace safety and health hazards.

(From a Safety.blr.com article)   On the basis of OSHA’s experience with workplace safety programs, a proposed rule would include the following elements:

  • Management duties
  • Employee participation
  • Hazard identification
  • Hazard prevention and control
  • Education and training
  • Program evaluation and improvement

 Injury and Illness Prevention Program State Requirements    There are 24 states that require a written injury and illness prevention program for certain industries, mostly as a requirement for worker’s compensation insurance coverage. 16 states offer discounts on workers’ compensation premium rates of up to 5 percent for qualifying organizations that voluntarily adopt and implement written safety and health programs.

California, for example, requires employers to have formal written injury and illness prevention programs. BLR has prepared written tips and considerations to help employers develop an injury and illness prevention program based on California’s requirements, and they cover OSHA’s proposed program elements:

OSHA Provides Incentives for Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

OSHA has a policy of reducing penalties for employers who have violated OSHA standards but who have demonstrated a good faith effort to provide a safe and healthy workplace to their employees. The Agency has long recognized the implementation of a safety and health program as a way of demonstrating good faith.

http://safety.blr.com/workplace-safety-news/safety-administration/illness-and-injury-reporting-OSHA-300-log/New-Injury-and-Illness-Prevention-Program-Rule-Con/

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Restaurant Food Safety: Some Counties Are Now Posting Restaurant Inspections Online With Explanation Of Findings

Most food establishments don’t publicize even their most positive inspection reports, and no government in the Philadelphia region requires that they be tacked up for easy viewing like a menu.

But more are going online. With the new Camden County database that went live Thursday night, the outcome of inspections are now posted for the vast majority of restaurants in the eight-county region.

(From a Philly.com article)   Philadelphia and Bucks, Montgomery and Camden Counties post the actual inspection reports – complete with comments and compliance for dozens of categories – in searchable databases that often contain previous inspections and explanations of the findings.

“Who doesn’t want to know what their children’s cafeteria looks like?” said Carmen G. Rodriguez, the freeholder liaison to the Health Department in Camden County, whose new Web site, like those in the other counties, includes schools.

Still, interpreting the regulatory language of inspection reports for what patrons really want to ask – Is this a safe place to eat? – takes time and patience.

“Cross-contamination and hand-washing violations and temperatures,” thorough cooking, hot foods kept hot and cold foods kept cold – these are the most important risk factors for food-borne illness, said Ben Chapman, a food-safety specialist at North Carolina State University. Dirty bathrooms matter less.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20100430_Most_restaurant_inspections_now_posted_on_the_Web.html

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