Category Archives: Training

by | May 7, 2010 · 5:05 am

Hotel Pool And Spa Health And Safety: Proper Water Chemistry Controls Are Essential To Maintaining Guest Health And Limit Illnesses (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCrDkXevV4Y]

A short video that describes basic water chemistry and the controls required for safe water.

Proper water chemistry is essential to maintaining safe and consistent swimming pool operation. Chemicals used in swimming pools include: Disinfectants to destroy harmful or otherwise objectionable organisms; Alkalinity and pH Adjusters to maintain a consistent acid-base relationship and acid buffering capacity; Chlorine Stabilizer to prevent unnecessary loss of chlorine; Algicide to kill and prevent algae, and Filter Aids to help remove foreign material. Following is a discussion of various factors which affect water chemistry, how they affect swimming pools and how to use pool chemicals to restore a properly balanced water chemistry.

http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/ehs/chem.htm

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by | May 6, 2010 · 6:20 am

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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by | May 5, 2010 · 5:07 am

Hotel And Resort Pool Health And Safety: Recreational Water Illnesses (RWI) Have Increased Over The Past Two Decades

Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans.

(From a CDC.gov posting)   RWIs can be a wide variety infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea. Diarrheal illnesses can be caused by germs such as Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7. In the past two decades, there has been an increase in the number of RWI outbreaks associated with swimming.

CDC’s Healthy Swimming program offers information and resources to raise awareness about RWIs and how to prevent them.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/

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by | May 4, 2010 · 4:18 am

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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by | May 3, 2010 · 5:49 am

Hotel Industry Safety: Guest Safety Will Always Be Compromised If Hotels Do Not Demand Physical Proof Of Identity

There is a conflict of interests between guest safety and guest satisfaction, which plagues the industry. By nature, hotels — especially five-star properties — are welcoming and discreet when a guest checks in. More rigorous identification procedures that require front-desk staff to demand additional personal information or physical proof of identity could jeopardise this.

(From a HotelierMiddleEast.com article)   Identifying hotel guests used to be a simple procedure; the receptionist had to match the name of the guest with the name on the reservation and then hand over the room key. But in today’s world of cyber crime, credit card fraud and identity theft, it is more important (and complicated) than ever to ensure that the person checking in to your hotel is really who they say they are.

In GCC countries, industry standards require hotels to upload data from the passport of every guest who is staying in the hotel on to a central government portal.

Two months ago, numerous individuals who were carrying false passports managed to enter the UAE, check into hotels using fake identities and fake credit cards, and then depart the country less than 24 hours later, after they allegedly assassinated Palestinian Hamas chief Mahmoud Al Mabhouh.

The events that took place at the Al Bustan Rotana Dubai in late January have still not been confirmed, but one thing is clear; a number of individuals managed to check into the hotel under assumed identities.

According to Al Bustan general manager Mohamad Haj Hassan, hotel staff followed standard protocol when several of the suspects checked in; taking a scan of their passports and a credit card swipe before handing them their room keys and wishing them an enjoyable stay.

http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/8056-whos-there/

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by | May 2, 2010 · 5:41 am

Hotel Spa Pool Safety Tips: Water Clarity And Cleaning Is Vital To Minimizing Health Risks

“…Many of the outbreaks related to swimming pools would have been prevented or reduced if the pool had been well managed….”

“….these challenges can be met through a combination of the following factors:

  • treatment (to remove particulates, pollutants and microorganisms), including filtration and disinfection (to remove/inactivate infectious microorganisms);
  • pool hydraulics (to ensure effective distribution of disinfectant throughout the pool, good mixing and removal of contaminated water);
  • addition of fresh water at frequent intervals (to dilute substances that cannot be removed from the water by treatment);
  • cleaning (to remove biofilms from surfaces, sediments from the pool floor and particulates adsorbed to filter materials);
  • and ventilation of indoor pools (to remove volatile disinfection by-products and radon).

(From a FreeDrinkingWater.com article)  Controlling clarity, the most important water quality criterion, involves adequate water treatment, including filtration. The control of pathogens is typically achieved by a combination of circulation of pool water through treatment (normally requiring some form of filtration plus disinfection) and the application of a chemical residual disinfectant to inactivate microorganisms introduced to the pool itself by, for instance, bathers. As not all infectious agents are killed by the most frequently used residual disinfectants, and as circulation through the physical treatment processes is slow, it is necessary to minimize accidental faecal releases and vomit (and to respond effectively to them when they occur) and to minimize the introduction of bather-shed organisms by pre-swim hygiene.

http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water_health/health1/1-public-health-hazards-public-swimming-pools.htm

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by | May 1, 2010 · 5:41 am

Restaurant Accident Liability And Prevention: Preventative Maintenance And Workplace Safety Save Owners Money In Long Run

The average slip-and-fall accident costs a restaurant about $12,000, and since most locations will experience between three and five of these per year, anything that can bring those figures down is good for the bottom line.

“When the budget’s lean, owners often look at a growing problem and say, ‘We don’t have the personnel or money to fix this right now,’” Riggs says. “But preventative maintenance is always easier than trying to fix a catastrophic problem after something’s been neglected.”

(From a QSRMagazine.com article)   Before Peter Riggs became a vice president with the 173-unit franchise Pita Pit, he was a franchise owner. Starting out in the business, Riggs thought he knew what to look for when it came to preventative maintenance and workplace safety. He watched for spills on the floor. He made regular equipment service appointments. He did all the things an owner-operator should do to ensure his location is in top working order. But one day a chair broke, and he realized he still had a lot to learn.

“The chair got old and one of its parts just came loose and broke,” Riggs says. “There was no particular reason beyond wear and tear. You know stuff like that happens, but you really don’t think about it in relation to your own business unless someone tells you to watch out for it.”

Fortunately, no one was injured, but Riggs still likes to tell the anecdote because he says it illustrates an important point when talking about site maintenance: Attention to detail is everything. And as owners and operators look to save money during the troubled economy, it’s the small, preventative particulars that often get lost in the mix. And it isn’t just a matter of safety; it’s also a matter of profitability.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/what_matters_most/141/prevention-1.phtml

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by | April 29, 2010 · 6:27 am

Hotel Pool Safety: Kids’ Clubs Represent An Important Hotel Amenity But Quality Control Is A Must To Reduce Risk

Kids’ clubs are an important hotel amenity for traveling families, often giving parents a much-needed break while kids are engaged.

But the challenge is there are no standard industry best practices followed for kids’ clubs and quality can be unpredictable.

(From a PeterGreenberg.com posting)    A hotel with a well-run kids program can be worth its weight in gold, especially for parents looking to spend some vacation time without worrying about the kids. However, many hotel kids’ programs include swimming as a group activity. Different hotels determine their own rules, which means as a participating family, it is up to you to gauge if the program meets your criteria for safety.

In the discussion, each family travel writer outlined his or her priorities and views around swimming safety in a hotel environment. There were a few points that came up again and again.

  • Child-to-instructor ratios
  • 4-to-1 is the magic number for child-to-instructor ratios.
  • Instructor training

Everyone agrees that instructors need to be CPR certified. Is this enough?

I’d argue that this is sufficient only in cases where 4-to-1 ratios are followed without exception. Otherwise, it’s necessary to have lifeguards present at the pool watching the water without distractions, i.e., they are not engaged in any unrelated parent and/or child communication and without any electronic devices.

http://www.petergreenberg.com/2010/04/27/are-hotel-kids%E2%80%99-club-swimming-sessions-safe/

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by | April 28, 2010 · 5:42 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Training: Hotel And Restaurant Owners Must Provide Training “Tailored To The Employees’ Language And Education”

“If the employees receive job instructions in a language other than English, then training and information … will also need to be conducted in a foreign language.”

In a 1999 letter of interpretation OSHA states “instruction … must be tailored to the employees’ language and education …”

(From a ReliablePlant.com article)   There is no single OSHArule for training – employee trainingis a requirement in several different OSHA standards. In a recent speech, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced a number of new worker training initiatives that will be implemented by OSHA.

According to Solis, OSHA currently requires that training provisions under its standards be provided in a language or a form that the workers can understand. The agency further requires that its compliance officers verify that workers have received the training required by OSHA standards.

However, effective April 28th, OSHA compliance officers will check not only that the training has been provided, but that it was provided in a format that the workers being trained can understand.

This new effort stems from an incident in which a worker was crushed to death in a machine she was cleaning. She had not been trained on how to clean the machinery safely and had not been given the manual to read because the employer stated that the employee could not speak or read English.

“This defies logic and is reprehensible!” stated Solis.

http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/24253/OSHA-focus-training-compliance

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by | April 27, 2010 · 6:47 am

Hotel Swimming Pool Water Health Risks: Maintaining Pool Equipment And Water Quality, Including Cleaning Pool Decks Daily, Can Help Reduce Health Hazards

Swimming pool water care involves you cleaning your pool deck and walkways at least once a day. This will help in keeping contaminants from entering into your pool or spa water. Additionally, maintaining good water quality and eliminating non-enteric waterborne illnesses, require daily swimming pool cleaning.

(From a Swimming-Pool-Care.com article)   Some waterborne illnesses are caused by non-enteric pathogens. These pathogens can be found in poorly maintained swimming pools and spas. Because of these potential health hazards, your swimming pool equipment and your water quality, should be checked constantly. This is a daily requirement.Non-enteric pathogens that are usually found in poorly maintained swimming pools include:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This is an opportunistic pathogen that causes infection of the respiratory system. It can also cause dermatitis and infections of the soft tissues in the body.Pseudomonas pathogens are usually found in a biofilm environment. Biofilm is normally found in the circulation system of your swimming pools and spas. This pathogen can tolerate a variety of physical conditions and it is highly resistant to antibiotics. 

Symptoms that are associated with pseudomonas aeruginosa!

Symptoms for this particular form of waterborne illnesses that are found in pools, are as follows:

  • Itchy skin. 
  • Bumpy rashes that are tender to the touch and appear reddish in color. 
  • Puss filled blisters that usually form around your hair follicles. The reason for this, is due to the fact that infection of pseudomonas usually forms in the hair follicles.

Other non-enteric pathogens that are found in pools and spas!

When the circulation system for your swimming pools and spas are poorly maintained, non-enteric pathogens are developed. These include:

  • Mycobacterium spp. 
  • Staphylococius aureus. 
  • Leptospira interrogans. 
  • Trichophyton spp. 
  • Epidmerophyton floccosum. this pathogen usually is the cause for dermic or respiratory infections. 
  • Acanthamoeba spp. 
  • Human papilloma virus. 
  • Legionella pneumophila. This particular type of waterborne illness, is commonly referred to as legionellosis or legionnaires disease. This is a severe case of pneumonia. Sadly this bacteria exist in poorly maintained spas and is transmitted through the mist that is common with this type of environment.Legionella pneumophila cause two different types of diseases. The first is called legionnaires disease, as was mentioned earlier. This my friend is the more severe form of the waterborne illnesses. The next stage of this infection, is called pontiac fever. Fortunately for us, this is the more milder side of the disease.Proper disinfectant levels in your spa, along with frequent maintenance of your filter, are critical steps necessary to control these bacteria. 
  • Molluscipox virus. This is a virus that causes molluscum contogiosum. Molluscum contogiosum is a common skin infection that is not serious. It will clear up on its own, without any form of treatment. Nevertheless the condition could take up to several months before it clears but there are no long term effects it. 
  • Verrucas. This infection, is commonly known as plantar warts. Waterborne illnesses of this type are usually acquired through direct contact with pool decks and locker room floors which have been contaminated. Contamination of these surfaces, are usually caused by skin fragments that are the cause of the infections.The skin fragments which are shed by other users, are normally infected with causative papliomavirus. Ordinarily, preventing plantar warts is achieved through regular cleaning and maintenance of your swimming pool decks and locker room floors. 
  • Athlete’s foot. This is a ringworm infection that is caused by dermatophyte fungi. A very itchy scale between the toes is indication of this infection. Athlete’s foot is contracted in the same manner as plantar warts.Infections is again from infected skin fragments that have the dermatophyte fungi. Individuals with severe cases of this condition, should not be allowed to use your recreational water facility. This will eliminate infection of other users. 

http://www.swimming-pool-care.com/waterborne-illnesses.html

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