Category Archives: Training

by | July 1, 2010 · 11:35 am

Hotel Industry Pool Safety: Hotels Must Create Safe Pool Environment For Young Children Who Need Supervision And Visibility

“Probably the most important thing, especially when you’re dealing with young children, is that they are always supervised around a body of water,” said Heather Board, an unintentional injury prevention program director at the Virginia Department of Health. “Children can drown in an instant, and contrary to popular belief, it tends to be a very silent drowning. There’s not a lot of splashing.”

In addition to close supervision, all pools should have a phone readily accessible in case there is a need to call emergency services. Barrier methods such as a fence with a self-closing gate also are important.

Adults supervising children in a pool should be free of distractions, Board said. The health department recommends one adult be designated the “water watcher” to keep a close eye on the children in the pool.

“There’s a difference between supervision and actively supervising,” Board said. A “water watcher” should not have side conversations with other adults, talk on the phone or leave the immediate area, she said. “They’re really paying close attention.”

For more:   http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/news/2010/jun/09/water-safety-paramount-good-times-pool/

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by | June 29, 2010 · 8:08 am

Hotel Pool Safety Legal Risks: Hotel Owners Must “Go Above And Beyond” Pool Safety Standards To Avoid “Negligence Per Se” Lawsuits

“…In a Negligence Per Se case, once the plaintiff demonstrates the defendant failed to comply with an applicable statute, it creates a presumption that the duty was breached.”

“…compliance with…statutory requirements alone may not be sufficient to ward off a lawsuit in the event of a swimming pool-related injury because the Swimming Pool Industry Standards recommend safety precautions that go above and beyond the statutory requirements of the building and/or health codes…”

 For example, depending on the size and configuration of the pool(s), the building and/or health codes of most jurisdictions typically require that, at a minimum, the water depth be indicated by signs that are mounted in the pool deck at specified intervals and on the vertical wall in the tile line. Additionally, if there is no lifeguard on duty, then most jurisdictions require a sign advising swimmers of that fact.

For more:   http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3072/is_15_224/ai_n48840673/

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by | June 19, 2010 · 8:04 am

Hotel Industry Injury Prevention: Hotels That Train And Retain Employees Experience Fewer Workplace Injuries

“…as turnover decreases, so does the number of injuries, because employees with more training tend to get injured less than newly hired ones. This may also explain why there was an increase in injuries during the industry’s initial boom, when the number of new employees increased.”

Scott Stuckey, general manager of the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, said his industry as a whole has been pushing for increased worker safety, with many setting up safety committees. Omni Jacksonville’s safety committee meets monthly to review accidents see how they could be prevented and inspect the hotel for potential hazards.

The number of employee injuries at the Omni has declined over the last few years, along with the workers’ compensation settlements attached to them. In 2007, the hotel had seven claims with a payout of about $7,000, compared with 2006, when it had 13 claims and a payout of a little under $12,000. The 2007 figure doesn’t take into account accidents in December, because they have yet to be calculated.

Stuckey said as turnover decreases, so does the number of injuries, because employees with more training tend to get injured less than newly hired ones. This may also explain why there was an increase in injuries during the industry’s initial boom, when the number of new employees increased.

Read more: In most cases, injuries drop as industries target safety – Jacksonville Business Journal

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by | June 18, 2010 · 6:20 am

Hotel Industry Pool Safety: Commercial Pool And Spa Safety Basics From The “Independent Pool And Spa Service Association” (IPSSA Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUKTCVpcaI0]

 This Independent Pool and Spa Service Association (IPSSA) video outlines safety issues at commercial pools and spas.

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by | June 17, 2010 · 7:05 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Injury Prevention: “Hands-On” Training Of Latino Employees On “Injury Prevention”, In Both English And Spanish, Will Lower Injury Rates And Save Companies Money In Long Run

“… the company provides monthly, hands-on training to workers in both English and Spanish. The company, which owns franchises of Carl’s Jr., Green Burrito, Papa John’s and Denny’s, has mostly Latino workers.”

“…Gonzalez said providing hands-on training lowered the company’s injury rate by 20 percent this past year.”

Recent data show that Latino workers are more prone to workplace-related fatalities and injuries.

Safety consultant Art Pedroza offered companies an alternative to medical payouts and legal fees: train the workers how to not hurt themselves.

“Latino workers are exposed to more risks and mortalities in the workplace than other workers. That’s more reason to emphasize how to keep them safe,” said Pedroza, outgoing president of the Orange County chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. He spoke at a chapter meeting held Wednesday at the Anaheim Park Hotel in Fullerton.

For more:  http://www.ocregister.com/news/workers-253791-pedroza-latino.html?cb=1276780048

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by | June 16, 2010 · 11:07 am

Hotel Pool And Spa Health And Safety: Operator Of An Iowa Hotel Failed To Have “Certified Pool Operator” And Guest Claims To Have Contracted Legionella Disease During Stay

“… the Iowa Department of Public Health found Legionella disease in a hospitalized patient who claimed to have contracted the bacterial disease, which can cause pneumonia, during Memorial Day weekend at the Ottumwa Days Inn spa. The Ottumwa Health Department was made aware of the complaint on June 10. “

 Ottumwa inspectors immediately tested the facilities and found that both the pool and spa had not been disinfected.

 

Gates said that the pool met code when it was last inspected in March by the city. One of the requirements for the pool facilities is that they have a certified pool operator. That person is in charge of testing the chemicals and making sure the facilities meet the requirements of the city and state codes. The Days Inn did not have a certified pool operator, Gates said. However, Gates noted, Legionella disease has not been confirmed to be present in the Ottumwa pools. They are awaiting test results that should be returned later this week.

“These rules are important because people can get sick if they are not complied,” Gates said, adding that she’s never had a complaint like this in her experience in the health department.

For more:   http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/dinn_swimming-pool-and-spa-at-the-days-inn-closed-down-987378.html

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by | June 12, 2010 · 8:51 am

Hotel Industry Employee Injury Issues: OSHA Reviewing “Ergonomic Enforcement” As Housekeepers Suffer Repetitive Stress Injuries

Celia Alvarez, who was in Houston for the recent OSHA conference, described overwhelming pain in her hands, shoulders, back and knees as she pulled and tugged to change sheets, pillowcases and bedcovers during her 19-year career as a hotel housekeeper in Long Beach, Calif. She’s already had knee and shoulder surgery and has operations scheduled on her lower back and hands.

OSHA has had several discussions with hotel housekeepers about their injuries and is looking closely at ergonomics enforcement. The agency also has been studying companies trying to prevent ergonomic hazards, he said.

The hospitality industry is also paying attention.

Since the study came out last year, hotel companies have been working on new ways to reduce injuries, said Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association in Washington. Some have added extra employees so housekeepers don’t have to do heavy lifting.

Celia Alvarez, who was in Houston for the recent OSHA conference, described overwhelming pain in her hands, shoulders, back and knees as she pulled and tugged to change sheets, pillowcases and bedcovers during her 19-year career as a hotel housekeeper in Long Beach, Calif. She’s already had knee and shoulder surgery and has operations scheduled on her lower back and hands.

Alvarez, who cleaned 25 to 30 rooms a day before becoming permanently disabled, said that for years she was not given a mop to clean bathroom floors, so she’d throw down towels and move her leg around, using it as if it were a mop handle.

Alvarez said she received little training in how to avoid repetitive stress injuries. If someone was injured, the housekeepers would be led in group warm-up exercises before a shift began, but that would usually last just for a few days, she said.

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

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by | June 11, 2010 · 7:58 am

Hotel Guest Safety And Risk Management: Emergency Telecommuncation Software Assists Hotel Staff In Directing First Responders To Hotel Rooms Quickly

“Within the hospitality industry, enhanced 911 software is critical to keeping guests safe and reducing liability and risk. Above all, it’s simply the right thing to do.”

“We’ve had emergency situations such as heart attacks where we’ve speeded response by having E911 and the caller’s precise location. Not only do our guests benefit from having this capability, but our staff also feels more secure knowing the right people are being notified properly of an event.”

The Chicago hotel uses the Amcom solution in tandem with its NEC UNIVERGE SV8500 IP communications server to provide a 911 caller’s location, including the floor and room number, to the local 911 call center. First responders can find and assist callers from any of the 1,000 phones at theWit without trying to guess the caller’s whereabouts. Location information is critical as the hotel spans 298 rooms and 29 floors, including three restaurants, two bars, and meeting space.

Even before the property’s opening in May 2009, theWit’s management team knew they needed to offer guests and staff members peace of mind through attention to safety.

For more:   http://www.marketwatch.com/story/thewit-hotel-offers-guests-peace-of-mind-with-amcom-softwares-enhanced-911-and-nec-univerge-communications-2010-06-10?reflink=MW_news_stmp

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by | June 10, 2010 · 7:13 am

Hotel Pool Water Health Risk Management: Pool Water Clarity Is Best Sign Of Healthy Conditions, Produced By Regular And Recorded Testing Of Chlorine And pH Levels

“If you can’t see the bottom of the pool, …..don’t get in the water”

“Pool operators are required to keep logs of when they test the water”

Lana Charrington, director of Environmental Health for the Ross County Health District, said her department checks any public pools in county, including those in hotels, the YMCA, spas and the city pool. The inspection includes:

  • checking the water circulation
  • making sure the pool filters in a 24-hour cycle
  • chlorine levels
  • clarity of the pool
  • pH levels which measure alkalinity

The department checks safety equipment and makes sure signage is displayed properly. It also makes sure proper recordkeeping is being done.

For more:   http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20100610/NEWS01/6100316

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by | June 9, 2010 · 8:13 am

Hotel Maintenance And Liability Risks: New Engineering Supervisor Details Problems At An Older Hotel Property In Northern California

 I started a job as a Engineering Supervisor at a  hotel in the Greater Sacramento area…..

  • The first thing, I noticed wrong, was my maintenance department people– were being drowned by other department duties, like Shuttling, Banquets, Shampooing the rooms, which takes hours at a time and is a Houseman job!
  • The second big thing, I noticed was Black Mold — harvesting, under the toilets in the rooms only to be thrown on the walls and ceiling by the exhaust fan distributing it. The third thing, I noticed was the ventilators on the roof not working, not even having any power in the wires? What the ventilators due, in a not working mode, is keep the rooms humid and acting like a fertilizer for Mold to grow!
  • The problems kept coming and I would keep finding them. I tried to order supplies for the control of the mold and for special tablets for the A/C unit’s pans to kill fungus and bacteria mold that would mutate in the pans. After cleaning some of the A/C units I realized that these units have not been cleaned in over twenty years! This particular situation caused an out break in the seventies called the Legion Air Disease — killing hundreds of people at one timeGoggle it!
  • The pool — was scheduled for it’s new drains so they would meet code. I believe my position was sacrificed to pay for those drains. That’s ok! As long as it is a safety thing and gets done? The rest of the pool’s equipment needs to be ripped out, its all old and bad! The deck needs to be resurfaced.
  • I had the corporate fix holes in the Stairwells and a couple of the Boilers but all five boilers need to be replaced. I got their programming computer system– working and computers for the front desk to work for them, while I was their.

For more:   http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100605/VIEWPOINTS03/6050360/Hello–my-friends-we-meet-again–Isn’-t-funny-how-time-can-turns-around–

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