Tag Archives: Emergency

Hospitality Industry Health Update: “Maintaining a Healthy Workforce, Workplace Keys to Hotels’ Ebola Response”

So far, it appears that the Ebola outbreak is not holding back companies’ road warriors. According to a poll of corporate travel managers released by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation,Ebola-620x330 nearly 80 percent of the managers said international business travel has either not been impacted at all or has not been impacted much during the past month. Likewise, more than 90 percent of managers said that domestic business travel has either not been impacted at all or has not been impacted much during the past month.

Travelers aren’t immune to the fear of Ebola generated by top headlines, so even though the dangers of a serious outbreak in the United States remain extraordinarily low, hotels must be prepared to respond to guests’ and employees’ concerns. And with flu season upon us, they should be ready to take responsible action no matter what the serious health care scenario.

“The health, safety, and security of our guests and team members is paramount,” stated Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) in a press release. “In these kinds of rapidly evolving situations, it is imperative that we stay informed, dispel fact from fiction, and follow official guidelines.”

For more: http://bit.ly/1x3lCeB

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Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Risk Update: “Dunmore Hotel Evacuated”

“Twenty-four people were taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center. By 5 p.m. all but one had been released, according to hospital spokeswoman Westyn Hinchey.dunmore-pennsylvania-hotel-hotels-atrium The last patient was transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for treatment of carbon monoxide exposure, Hinchey said. She said she could not release that person’s name and did not know his/her condition.”

At least one person remained hospitalized Sunday night and a Dunmore hotel is closed today after over 200 guests were evacuated Sunday morning. More than two dozen were taken to area hospitals to be evaluated for possible carbon monoxide inhalation.

Those staying at the Best Western Plus Hotel on Tigue Street with symptoms were removed in buses and ambulances after a carbon monoxide leak “stemming from a furnace” was discovered just before 9 a.m., Dunmore Fire Chief Christopher DeNaples said.

For more: http://bit.ly/XPDbme

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Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Health And Safety Compliance: OSHA To Increase Inspections And Enforcement Of “Emergency Exit Routes” Requirements

OSHA Emergency Exit Route Facts-page-001

Retailers and hospitality entities (as well as other employers with multiple establishments) should be particularly attuned to this issue for several reasons. First, even without this directive from OSHA’s national office, year after year, 1910.36 continues to be one of the five standards most frequently cited against employers in these industries. Second, whereas in most workplaces, exits and exit routes are intended for egress of employees only, in retail and hospitality locations, emergency exits are there for both employees and patrons, which increases the scrutiny on the issue. Third, OSHA has launched at least two special emphasis enforcement programs (one in Delaware and another in Pennsylvania) focused on retail establishments, and looking at egress issues as one of the top focus areas.
Finally, although initial fines for egress-related violations are typically only $2,000 or less, OSHA now treats related workplaces within a corporate family as one workplace for purposes of Repeat violations, which carry penalties up to $70,000 per violation. This has been the primary weapon OSHA has used to drive up penalties against employers with multiple workplaces, like retailers and hospitality employers. By actively pursuing more Repeat violations, OSHA is issuing much higher penalties. Over the past four years, OSHA has increased the number of Willful and Repeat violations it has issued by more than 200%.

OSHA Emergency Exit Route Facts-page-001

OSHA Emergency Exit Route Facts-page-002

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Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Hospitality Industry Safety Solutions: Hotel Management Must Regularly “Test Emergency Power Supply System Generators With Load” To Ensure Guest Safety During Power Outage And Loss

“…the most important maintenance issue for emergency power supply systems is the requirement to regularly test the generators with load. Most often it becomes inconvenient to perform the test due to interruptions to delivering guest services. In order that proper testing of the Hotel Emergency Power Systemsemergency power distribution system doesn’t negatively impact hotel operations, modern technology enables a design engineer to develop an automatic power transfer system that provides a seamless transfer between the municipal utility supply and the generator system…”

Proper maintenance includes, but is not limited to, fuel filtration to reduce the possibility of contaminants, battery maintenance and replacement to ensure a successful generator start every time, and periodic load testing to reduce the possibility of failure.

Emergency generators are installed in hotels to prevent hazards associated with loss of municipal electric power supplies. The reliability of electric power supplies for Fire and Life Safety systems is critical. In a hotel, the automatic power transfer switches that transfer the electricity source to the emergency generator, must be timed to provide electric power to fire and life safety loads within 10 seconds and to standby loads within 60 seconds of loss of municipal power supply. The life safety loads include:

  • Illumination of exits from a hotel building leading to an assembly point
  • Emergency exit signs
  • Alarm and alerting systems such as the fire alarm system
  • Controlled emergency communication systems
  • Emergency generator-set room lighting
  • Fire suppression systems
  • Smoke management systems

An emergency power source cannot perform successfully unless each system component functions properly. While attention is often given to protecting the engine-generator set, components such as the fuel system, the age of the fuel (if using a fossil fuel product) and the emergency power transfer panels may not have the same degree of care. As a result, the emergency power source may fail.

For example if the engine-generator set in a hotel is installed on the roof to avoid being flooded, but the automatic power transfer system and emergency power panels are located in the basement, then in the event of a flood the system is likely to fail, regardless of the reliability of the engine-generator.

Hotel developers spend an enormous amount of money on emergency power supply systems so they are assured that in the event of an emergency, the hotel will have the power required to ensure the safety of their guests and associates.

For more:  http://www.hospitalitynet.org/column/global/154000392/4060426.html

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Filed under Guest Issues, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Hospitality Industry Risks: Hotel And Restaurant Owners And Management Must Have Emergency Plans And Insurance In Place To Manage Crisis

Hotel owners and management must be able to deal with catastrophic events and know the answers to the following:

  1. How quickly could you restart?
  2. Would insurance provide money for next week’s rent and wages?
  3. What would the bank say?

Massive floods are one thing, but what if a neighbouring building caught fire or your kitchen burst into flames? Start your managers and staff thinking through the issues, while they’re still in the headlines…

  • Check Data Backup Systems: are they all onsite or are copies of data, systems and staff records kept elsewhere? Is the safe fireproof or just a box with a key? Online backup systems like Carbonite work well, and data storage is very cheap – but you need to start it happening!
  • Is the Insurance cover complete? Would it cover a situation like the current floods? Does it cover intangible items as well as equipment? What about loss of profits and staff wages while rebuilding happens?
  • Are Staff trained for fire and first-aid emergencies? This is the type of training that’s usually regarded as ‘nice to have’ rather than essential. Do they know how to handle a fat or an electrical fire? What about an elderly customer who faints or collapses? Or flood waters coming near electrical connections?
  • How will you keep Customers & Staff informed? It’s more effective if your email newsletter or SMS alerts are already part of their world, then you can really keep their loyalty active. Your Facebook Page and Twitter updates will also reach many others…
  • Have a Crisis Management Plan, designed to cover the many risky situations where you depend on only one alternative: eg only one staff member who’s qualified with first aid, one chef who knows how to cook the favourite dessert, one key for the liquor store, or one computer with all the staff records.
  • Crisis Management Downloads: ready to use (and edit) Safety Manual and Rules, Maintenance Logbook, Cleaning Rosters (greasy dirt is a big cause of kitchen fires) and a raft of other systems designed to keep your business organised and safe.

For more:   http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article51387.html

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Filed under Claims, Flood Insurance, Guest Issues, Injuries, Insurance, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

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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Filed under Health, Injuries, Insurance, Liability, Risk Management, Training