Category Archives: Training

by | November 23, 2010 · 5:52 am

Hotel Industry Employee Safety Issues: OSHA Will Target Hospitality Employers That Exhibit “A Pattern Of Non-Compliance” With An Aggressive Enforcement Campaign

“…if OSHA believes that the violation at a particular hotel is indicative of a pattern of non-compliance, then it will launch investigations into other hotels owned or operated by the same company. This company “profiling” should put all hotels on high alert…”

“… In light of the significant penalties and the new focus on enforcement from the government and labor unions, it is important for hotels to take worker safety issues seriously and to have a plan in place should OSHA launch an investigation into their respective properties…”

The housekeepers allege injuries arising from their daily room quotas and argue that cleaning rooms and lifting heavy mattresses lead to accidents and workplace injuries. The complaints allege that workers are discouraged from reporting injuries due to fear of retaliation and that monetary rewards for having a safe workplace discourages complaints. The housekeepers recommend several solutions, including changes to fitted sheets, mops and other equipment used to clean a room, as well as a cap on their daily room quota.

Hospitality employers must be on alert of similar OHSA complaints at its properties. OHSA has begun an aggressive enforcement campaign against employers when it unveiled its “Severe Violator Enforcement Program” (“SVEP”) earlier this year. Under SVEP, OSHA will target those employers who disregard their obligations through willful, repeated, or multiple violations. This will lead to a significant increase in OSHA inspections at workplaces that not only have a history of health and safety violations, but also allows for nationwide inspections of related workplaces.

 Thus, Additionally, because OSHA investigators are more likely to approach local managers at each property, it is important that these managers receive proper training on OSHA regulations and how to comply with an OSHA investigation. Accordingly, hotels should take the necessary steps now to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state requirements through attorney-client self-audits.

For more:  http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c08060f9-c1d2-4b11-ba11-e20e66a39ab3

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by | November 22, 2010 · 11:04 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Issues: Hospitality Owners And Management Should Verify Employment And Utilize “E-Verify” Through The U.S. Citizenship And Immigration Services

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Why E-Verify?

Why do people come to the United States illegally?  They come here to work.  The public can, and should, choose to reward companies that follow the law and employ a legal workforce.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working to stop unauthorized employment.  By using E-Verify to determine the employment eligibility of their employees, companies become part of the solution in addressing this problem.

Employment eligibility verification is good business and it’s the law.

 

Who Uses E-Verify?

More than 225,000 employers, large and small, across the United States use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of their employees, with about 1,000 new businesses signing up each week.

While participation in E-Verify is voluntary for most businesses, some companies may be required by state law or federal regulation to use E-Verify.  For example, most employers in Arizona and Mississippi are required to use E-Verify. E-Verify is also mandatory for employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that contain the Federal Acquisition Regulation E-Verify clause.

For more:  http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=

e94888e60a405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

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by | November 21, 2010 · 5:28 am

Hotel Spa Health Risks: Hotel Owners Found Liable In Death Of Man Who Contracted Legionnaire’s Disease In Hotel Hot Tub

“…evidence during the trial revealed the Alabama Department of Public Health determined Handley and Howard came into contact with Legionella bacteria because it was contained in the mist produced by the hotel’s hot tub. After the men became gravely ill from the disease, department investigators went to the hotel to examine the hot tub…”
A Calhoun County jury rendered a $4.5 million verdict Thursday evening against the owners of an Oxford hotel where two people contracted Legionnaires’ disease in 2008.

It took the jury less than an hour to reach the verdict in a civil lawsuit against Devi LLC, an Oxford-based company that owns the Oxford Fairfield Inn and Suites and Courtyard by Marriot. The Fairfield Inn, which was previously named Wingate Inn in 2008, was where the incident occurred.

The lawsuit was filed by Rodney Handley and Emanuel Howard, who alleged they contracted Legionnaires’ disease after using a Wingate hot tub in May 2008. Both men worked for Jefferson County and were in the area to assist in cleanup efforts after a tornado hit Heflin. The hot tub has since been removed from the building.

Handley died of a heart attack in January of this year at age 44, but his brother, Brent Handley, continued on with the lawsuit, said plaintiffs’ attorney Todd Wheeles.

Wheeles said evidence during the trial revealed the Alabama Department of Public Health determined Handley and Howard came into contact with Legionella bacteria because it was contained in the mist produced by the hotel’s hot tub. After the men became gravely ill from the disease, department investigators went to the hotel to examine the hot tub.

“They told the hotel to close the hot tub and lock it up,” Wheeles said. “However, the next morning, the staff goes in and cleans and disinfects the area … so when the ADPH gets back to get samples, the evidence was destroyed.”

Wheeles added that evidence showed hotel management provided incorrect maintenance records about the hot tub to the ADPH.

Read more: Anniston Star – Jury verdict nets 4 5 million from hotel owners

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by | November 20, 2010 · 4:08 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Spas And Restaurants Must Review And Improve Air Quality And Purification Systems To Limit “Volatile Organic Compound” (VOC) Health Risks To Guests And Employees

Spas and Salons across the Country have demonstrated increasing evidence of illnesses affecting employees, customers, and even children due to the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOC”) emitted by a variety of hair, nail and other personal grooming treatments, in many instances with little or no air purification whatsoever provided.

Restaurants generally prove vulnerable to poor indoor air quality, particularly with respect to the use of cleaning solvents in the dining room and bar areas, as well as the possibility for odors, mold and mildew that can plague food preparation areas.

In the personal grooming arena, Spas and Salons across the Country have demonstrated increasing evidence of illnesses affecting employees, customers, and even children due to the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOC”) emitted by a variety of hair, nail and other personal grooming treatments, in many instances with little or no air purification whatsoever provided.

“There are serious ramifications building across the Country due to the lack of education on how damaging these contaminants are to the long term health of the people that are breathing them on a regular basis,” said Jack Lennon, President of UV Flu Technologies. “We are contacted on a weekly basis by parents, as well as workers and customers, who have experienced symptoms of illness themselves, or whose children have experienced negative effects while certain treatments were underway with no air purification in evidence, or with non-functioning air purifiers being used.”

“A particularly troubling aspect is that many of these individuals breathing these VOC’s are at young ages critical to the development of their heart and lungs,” continues Mr. Lennon, “Some of these popular hair treatments have been shown recently to contain up to 20% formaldehyde, while acetone and benzene are being used for nails. These contaminants are known carcinogens, and salons who are not addressing the concerns of their employees and customers are not only facing a loss of business, but the risk of litigation, as well as potential legislation.”

For more:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uv-flu-technologies-identifies-new-prospects-for-uv-400-air-purifier-with-rising-health-concerns-within-hospitality-market-segments-2010-11-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp

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Filed under Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Health, Injuries, Insurance, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Pool And Spa, Risk Management, Training

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by | November 18, 2010 · 6:06 pm

Hospitality Industry Profile: “Growth Of Loyalty Programs” Is Central To Hotel Websites Ability To Improve Brand

“The growth in loyalty program membership has had a more positive impact than many hospitality brands would have imagined in a mature market,” said Claude Guay, President and CEO of iPerceptions. “Loyalty programs have taken on a life of their own, not only stimulating visitor’s intent to return to the website, but in also keeping brands at the top of mind when making travel plans.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/18/prweb8007565.DTL#ixzz15gpY2Z5u

CLICK ON "HOSPITALITY" TO VIEW ENTIRE REPORT

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by | November 17, 2010 · 10:35 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Service Issues: Hotels Are Under Pressure To Deliver High-Speed, Cost-Effective Wireless To Guests Who Want To Access It Everywhere (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdGJ4uIIEp4]

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by | November 16, 2010 · 8:48 pm

Hospitality Industry Technology Issues: Hotel Management Needs To Integrate Mobile Technology Into Operations To Increase Productivity And Reduce Costs

“Hoteliers are looking to educate themselves and learn to better market to travelers on the go,” said Kim, whose study included dozens of directors and GMs. She found that hoteliers support using mobile technology to increase employee productivity and cost reduction.

Kim’s study also found that hoteliers expect a mobile device to be at least iPhone-sized with a touch screen and the ability to interface with a hotel’s property-management system.

Specific operational applications of technology included allowing engineers to remotely keep track of hotel systems, control energy use remotely and support employee multitasking while reminding them of pending tasks.

After Kim showed her survey, a panel discussion took place discussing the merits and limitations of hoteliers relying on mobile technology.

“Mobility is death by a thousand cuts,” said Alan Dabbiere of Airwatch, which manages guest wireless for more than ten thousand locations, referring to the complexity of upgrading a hotel’s infrastructure to utilize the latest mobile technology. “I think we have Steve Jobs to thank or blame for some of this. It wasn’t until he consumerized it and made it sexy, and now people are becoming very personal about their mobility.”

Sukhvinder Singh, VP of IT for Host Hotels, talked at length about the difficulties hoteliers face in updated outdated hotel infrastructure in hotels with older builds.

“There’s been a paradigm shift in hospitality–we lag behind in technology, we do walls twice and carpets four times before we do technology,” said Singh. “People should appreciate we are now looking at next wave of technology since hotels have not paid attention to infrastructure for last 20 years.

For more:  http://www.hotelworldnetwork.com/wireless/hoteliers-talk-infrastructure-upgrades-mobile-technology-seminar

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by | November 15, 2010 · 7:22 pm

Hotel Industry Security Risks: Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) Launches Initiative To Raise Hotel Employees Awareness Of Potential Terrorism

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have joined forces on an initiative to encourage and educate lodging employees to recognize, report, and react to suspicious and crisis situations that occur on property. 

It is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism, crime, and other threats, and emphasize the importance of employees reporting suspicious activity to their supervisors and in turn, security or law enforcement authorities. 

In May DHS launched their “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, which was originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and funded, in part, by $13 million from DHS’s Transit Security Grant Program.  It has since been customized and expanded for surface transportation (Amtrak), general aviation, several cities and states around the country, and now the lodging industry.  With the assistance of AH&LA’s Loss Prevention Committee, DHS has created public education materials for industry employees, including posters, table circulars and paystub inserts. 

Last month, AH&LA, via its Loss Prevention Committee, teamed with DHS to create a guide, video and threat assessment document specifically to help hoteliers plan and manage security at their facilities.  The Protective Measures Guide for the U.S. Lodging Industry provides an overview of threat, vulnerability, and protective measures designed to assist hotel owners and operators in planning and managing security at their facilities.  The No Reservations: Suspicious Behavior in Hotels video is designed to provide information to help hotel employees identify and report suspicious activities and threats in a timely manner.  The video is approximately 10 minutes in length and intended for use by all hotel employees. A Spanish version will be available in the near future.  All three items are available in the members only section of the AH&LA Website.

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) is working with the AH&LA Loss Prevention Committee, DHS, and other agencies to update its current security certifications and to develop new programs designed to provide hospitality security personnel and other employees with information on terrorism awareness and anti-terrorism preparedness.

For more:  http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=18760

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by | November 13, 2010 · 6:43 pm

Hotel Industry Health And Safety Issues: New Ways To Eliminate “Bed Bug Infestations” Include “Baking” Hotel Rooms At Temperatures Of 130 Degrees”

If the pests are carried into a hotel, the company is prepared to bake them to death at 130 degrees or higher for two hours, a time and temperature that is overkill. Bedbugs die

State inspectors have the authority to shut down an establishment that poses an "imminent health hazard" involving fire, flood, sewage backup, rodent infestation, bed bug infestation or "any other condition that could endanger the health and safety of guests, employees and the general public."

after 20 minutes at 113 degrees, Dunkelberger said.

“… the company places heaters, fans and an air scrubber in the hotel room to warm the air, circulate it and eliminate impurities. Probes are used to determine the temperature in at least six areas of the room — under the carpet, between the mattresses and inside the credenza — until it reaches at least 130 degrees. Then, the room bakes for two hours.”

ISIS Hospitality, a local leader in the hotel industry, has found a new method for exterminating bedbugs: heat. The pests cannot stand it, which is why ISIS Hospitality is baking rooms in its six hotels to eliminate them.

Bedbugs are a persistent problem that plague everyone in the hospitality industry, and they did not skip over any hotel in the Black Hills, said Rich Dunkelberger, chief executive officer of ISIS Hospitality.

“Bedbugs don’t discriminate. They like Ritz-Carltons as much as they like Motel 6s,” said Dunkelberger, whose company started using the new method about two weeks ago. “We’re excited about this because we found something we know works and we’re doing it now.”

The company manages The Hotel Alex Johnson, AmericInn Lodge & Suites, Country Inn & Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites and LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Rapid City, and Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort in Deadwood.

“We have no active infestations in any of our six motels,” Dunkelberger said.

If the pests are carried into a hotel, the company is prepared to bake them to death at 130 degrees or higher for two hours, a time and temperature that is overkill. Bedbugs die after 20 minutes at 113 degrees, Dunkelberger said.

Using the ThermaPure method, the company places heaters, fans and an air scrubber in the hotel room to warm the air, circulate it and eliminate impurities. Probes are used to determine the temperature in at least six areas of the room — under the carpet, between the mattresses and inside the credenza — until it reaches at least

130 degrees. Then, the room bakes for two hours.

“It turns into a super-heated convection oven,” said Bob Almond, director of maintenance for ISIS Hospitality. Almond attended a weeklong training session to learn the method.

Although it is beyond the kill stage temperature, the company keeps the room around 130 to 140 degrees to ensure the demise of the pests; higher temperatures cause damage to items in the room.

Almond and the maintenance crew are heating all rooms that were previously treated by other extermination methods in the past three years to ensure all bugs and eggs are dead, Dunkelberger said.

“Then, we can feel confident that we have sterile hotels,” Dunkelberger said.

The extermination method comes with a $70,000 price tag, which includes the equipment and the weeklong training course in California.

“I’m more than willing to make the investment. It’s well worth it so we can rest assured our guests are safe,” Dunkelberger said. “We’ve done everything we possibly can to kill the bedbugs. There is nothing else more that we could do. If there was, I’d do it, but there is nothing more we can do.”

For more:  http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_5f3347be-efa5-11df-baab-001cc4c03286.html

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by | November 9, 2010 · 6:49 pm

Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risk Management: Housekeepers File “Multicity Injury Complaint” That Demands Hotel Management Use “Fitted Sheets”, “Long-Handled Mops And Dusters” And Lower Room Quotas To Reduce Injuries

The complaints recommend the hotels:

  • use fitted sheets to reduce the number of times that women must lift 100-plus pound mattresses;
  • long-handled mops and dusters, so workers do not have to get down on their hands and knees to clean the floors or climb bathtubs to reach high surfaces;
  • and what the union considers to be “reasonable” room quotas.

Housekeepers at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa joined with their mainland counterparts to file the first multicity injury complaint against the hotel operator with the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In addition to Honolulu, complaints were filed by workers at a dozen Hyatt properties in San Antonio; Chicago; San Francisco; Santa Clara, Calif.; Los Angeles; Long Beach, Calif.; and Indianapolis. Those properties employ more than 3,500 workers, according to Unite Here Local 5, the hotel workers union.

Some Hyatt properties require room attendants to clean as many as 30 rooms a day, nearly double the industry standard, according to the union. Housekeeping duties include heavy lifting of beds, linens and other work that can strain the body.

For more:  http://www.staradvertiser.com/business/businessbriefs/20101110_Business_Briefs.html

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