Tag Archives: Health

by | December 27, 2010 · 9:42 am

Hotel Pool Safety And Health: Use Of A “Food Grade Enzyme” Can Reduce High Phosphate Levels In Hotel Swimming Pools That Result In “Overchlorination”, Leading To Guest Eye Irritation, Lung Damage And Asthma

The Clarion Hotel in Portland cut its chlorine use by 87 percent.

The phosphates reduce the chlorine’s effectiveness. Adding a food grade enzyme to the water reduces the phosphate level and allows chlorine to do its work. Not only is less chlorine needed, but it also lasts longer, Cooke said.

The pool was part of a test project with the state of Maine Department of Environmental Protection to help reduce use of the chemical, which has been linked to skin and eye irritations, lung damage and asthma. The project also saved some money.

“It is very easy,” said Peter Cooke, DEP pollution prevention program manager. The agency funded the project with a $30,000 federal grant. Overchlorination is common at public swimming pools because of the high levels of phosphates, Cooke said. Phosphates occur naturally in some water but are commonly added by water treatment plants to prevent corrosion in municipal water pipes.

The phosphates reduce the chlorine’s effectiveness. Adding a food grade enzyme to the water reduces the phosphate level and allows chlorine to do its work. Not only is less chlorine needed, but it also lasts longer, Cooke said.

Don Hopkins, operations manager for the Olympia Companies, property management company of the Clarion Hotel, said regular swimmers at the pool immediately noticed a difference.

“They said it smelled better and the water felt softer on the skin, ” Hopkins said.

He said workers at the hotel also noticed the difference. Hopkins said adding the enzyme to the 30,000-gallon pool saved $200 a month in chlorine costs, compared to the $130 monthly cost of the enzyme. The company is now looking to reduce chlorine at pools at some of its other hotel properties, he said.

For more:  http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/using-enzyme-reduces-need-for-pool-chlorine_2010-12-21.html#

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by | November 24, 2010 · 5:53 am

Hotel Industry Health And Safety Issues: Bed Bug Infestations Have Been Reported In All 50 States And Restricted Use Of Pesticides Will Make Eradication Efforts Difficult (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAEavqJS9eI]

Prior to World War I, nearly 30 percent of all homes were infested with bed bugs. Widespread use of pesticides such as DDT all but eradicated bed bugs for nearly 50 years. But with declining use of pesticides and the elimination of DDT, bed bugs have staged a comeback and are reported in all 50 states. There is even an iPhone app that allows users to track bed bug sightings. Dr. Jeffrey Levin of the U.T. Health Science Center at Tyler discusses bed bugs in this post to the U.T. Health Science Center at Tyler’s YouTube Channel.

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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 2, 2010 · 8:46 am

Hospitality Industry Employee Health Risks: Swine Flu Outbreaks Could Cripple Small To Medium-Sized Companies If “Half Of Their Workforces Were Out Sick For Two Weeks”

Only one-third reported that they could sustain their businesses without “severe operational problems” if the swine flu kept half their workforces out sick for two weeks, according to the survey.

Swine flu is a type of influenza caused by a virus which can cause serious health complications or even death in a small proportion of the population. Officially called Influenza A H1N1, the symptoms are similar to ordinary flu (e.g. fever, headache, sneezing) but can be more severe.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that the H1N1 virus has infected more than 22 million people in the U.S. since April, and more than 4,000 people nationwide have died of related complications. The proportion of deaths attributed to influenza already has exceeded what is normally expected at this time of year, with the young hit the hardest, the CDC says.

    At the same time, a survey published in September by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the pandemic and resulting absences could have devastating effects on U.S. businesses. Only one-third reported that they could sustain their businesses without “severe operational problems” if the swine flu kept half their workforces out sick for two weeks, according to the survey.

    Jennifer Benz, who runs Benz Communications, a San Francisco-based employee benefits communication firm, says many of her clients have begun health education campaigns but have stopped short of analyzing all the issues that could arise from a pandemic.

    “It’s very easy to post communications throughout your company, such as washing your hands when you sneeze, but to really look at changing policies is a much different thing,” she says. “It’s a tough business environment right now.”

    Many companies may do more if they see absenteeism soar, she says, but by then, it may be too late. “I think a lot of companies have a plan in their back pocket. If their work site gets hit really hard, then they’ll look at ‘How do we respond?’ ”

    The flu pandemic highlights the importance of providing robust health benefits, such as more than one or two sick days a year, she says. But ad hoc solutions, such as allowing employees to work from home, will fail if a company hasn’t thought them through by, for instance, providing enough access to laptops and ensuring that computer networks can support large numbers of workers dialing in.

    Furthermore, just telling employees to stay home doesn’t help if the company has a weak sick-leave policy or doesn’t provide paid sick time for hourly or part-time workers. “For low-wage workers, missing some days off can mean the difference in paying your rent that month,” Benz says.

    In many cases, businesses are opting against more aggressive efforts because of cost and privacy concerns, says Russell Robbins, a principal and senior clinical consultant in the Connecticut office of HR consulting firm Mercer. Unfortunately, it’s easy to dismiss warnings over H1N1 as paranoid or an overreaction, but the truth is that the flu is likely to spread, Robbins says.

    “I just keep saying that the only way we’re going to weather through this is if we’re prepared for a crisis,” he says. “In other words, make plans now.”

For more:  http://www.workforce.com/section/benefits-compensation/feature/ounce-prevention-or-pound-cure/index.html

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by | September 2, 2010 · 9:43 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Owners Must Must Undertake All Eradication Efforts To Avoid “Bed Bug” Infestation As Even “False Alarms” Are Reported

These are anxious times in the hotel industry. The pests — which hide in mattresses and bite people while they sleep — are

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."

constantly in the news, and no place feels safe anymore.

Hotel and inn operators are feeling particularly vulnerable. Bedbugs have a habit of hitchhiking from place to place in suitcases. And disgruntled guests have a habit of broadcasting their bad experiences. A single negative posting on the likes of tripadvisor.com making a charming inn sound like a bedbug-and-breakfast can bring an establishment to its knees.

“I think the only people who were paying attention before were those who were dealing with it personally,’’ said Jeffrey White, an entomologist with BedBug Central, an online bedbug resource and host of “BedBug Central TV,’’ a weekly webcast. “With bedbugs popping up on buses and trains and theaters — places which everybody tends to use — it’s driving the media.’’

“Everyone has a right to voice their opinion, but it’s disheartening,’’ said Paul Sacco, president and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Lodging Association. “It’s just awful that people can make claims that it takes forever to substantiate and forever to get them off when they’re false.’’

Another scourge in the industry is The Bedbug Registry, a public database of sightings in hotels and apartments in the United States and Canada. It was started four years ago by Maciej Ceglowski, a California computer programmer seeking revenge on bedbugs after being bitten by one in a San Francisco hotel. The sightings aren’t verified and are usually submitted anonymously. There have been 51 reports of bedbugs in Massachusetts hotels, Ceglowski said.

For more:  http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/09/02/

bedbug_fears_putting_the_bite_on_hotel_industry/

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by | August 26, 2010 · 2:16 pm

Hotel Industry Liability Risks: Hotel Guests’ 4-Year Old Child Finds “Condom” In Room And Family Has Retained Attorneys To File Suit Against Hotel Owners

Jones has since filed a report with the Atlanta Police Department and the family engaged lawyers to negotiate a settlement with the hotel. If no settlement is reached, the lawyer plans to file suit.

Wyndham Hotels said it was “disturbed to learn of the allegations,” but that the hotel in question was individually owned and operated. It has been sold since the incident occurred, the hotel chain said.

A 4-year-old boy was being tested for sexually transmitted diseases after he found a used condom in an Atlanta hotel room and tried to blow it up, thinking it was a balloon, his family said.

The boy found the condom in the sheets of a bed in the hotel where his family was staying, according to his grandmother Carmen Jones.

According to the statement, she then called hotel management and asked for alcohol and mouthwash for her grandson. The hotel manager came to the room, put on latex gloves and took the condom from her, citing “company policy.”

“He had his tongue in it,” Jones said in a statement released by her lawyers. “I immediately took it out of his mouth.”

The boy sickened and developed sores on his tongue not long after, Jones said. She took him to Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta to have him tested for sexually transmitted diseases, including herpes and HIV, a local CBS affiliate reported.

He had “little white blisters all on the top of his mouth, on his tongue, inside the mouth, inside the lip, the bottom lip. It was all over,” Jones told the CBS affiliate.

For more:  http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/boy-tested-for-stds-after-finding-condom-in-atlanta-hotel-room/19609907

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by | August 23, 2010 · 4:30 am

Hospitality Industry Trends: Hotel Ownership Should Consider “Green Lodging” Certifications As Healthier And Safer Business Practices

“… it creates a healthier environment for those working at a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast as more of the cleaning supplies use fewer chemically infused ingredients, fewer linens are laundered, cans, bottles and other goods are recycled and lighting, entertainment, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems become more energy saving and efficient…”

“Growing numbers of consumers, including families and conference planners, want to know that the hotel where they plan to stay is ‘green,’ ” says Amey Marrella, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, who this past week announced that the state just certified its 15th “green lodging.”

Being green, says the commissioner, can include increased energy efficiencies, water-use reductions or reducing, reusing and recycling materials found in a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast.

In addition, Marrella says being a certified green lodging hotel can provide that hotel or motel with a competitive marketing tool, in addition to the savings provided by reduced energy use.

By “greening a hotel,” the institution can become more efficient, become friendlier to its surrounding environment and, say DEP officials, bolster its bottom line.

For more:   http://www.theday.com/article/20100822/BIZ02/308229886/-1/BIZ

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by | July 28, 2010 · 5:18 am

Hotel Industry Health And Safety: Bedbug Infestations Have Risen Over 80% Since 2000 And Hotels And Motels Have Been “Hit Hard”

“A trained and knowledgeable housekeeping staff is one of the best lines of defense, along with having regular pest control inspections,”

Hotels and motels have been hit hard — CNN said 67 percent of nearly 1,000 pest control companies surveyed have treated bedbug infestations in hotels or motels, and overall, calls to deal with bedbugs have increased 81 percent since the year 2000.

Even four and five-star resorts have had problems with infestations, and researchers say it’s not an issue of cleanliness.

“It’s not a hygiene issue, and that’s a very important thing for all consumers to understand,” said Missy Henriksen, a spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association said that bedbugs are brought into hotels by guests, so the best way to avoid picking up the creatures on your clothes or luggage is to thoroughly check the mattress and sofa before settling into a new hotel room.

“A trained and knowledgeable housekeeping staff is one of the best lines of defense, along with having regular pest control inspections,” the association added.

For more:  http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/health/bedbug-infestations-on-the-rise-in-u.s.

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by | July 19, 2010 · 7:54 pm

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Outbreak Of Norovirus At Hotels And Restaurants Can Be Minimized With Antimicrobial Technology

“Ultimately, the impact an outbreak has on a hotel’s reputation could be devastating. Norovirus, for example, can be particularly dangerous for the elderly or very young, especially if customers have underlying health problems. Then there’s Campylobacter – the most common form of food poisoning – which is estimated to cost the UK economy £500m a year.”

  A leading microbiologist is calling on the hospitality and leisure industry to take more drastic action to minimise the risk of customers and staff being infected with potentially harmful microorganisms following a food poisoning outbreak at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

 Dr Richard Hastings, a microbiologist for BioCote, says that by adopting antimicrobial silver ion technology into areas where hygiene is critical, like a hotel’s kitchen and restaurant, or public areas where there is high footfall, it can help lower levels of contaminating bacteria by up to 99.99%. This dramatically reduces the possibility of cross contamination and the risk of people getting infected.

For more:  http://www.hoteldesigns.co.uk/industrynews/news_7391.html

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