Tag Archives: Illnesses

by | May 26, 2010 · 5:17 am

Hotel Pool And Spa Health Risks: Super Bug “Crypto” Causes Most Common Recreational Water Illness (RWI), Survives For Days In Chlorinated Water, And Can Be Prevented Only When Guests Shower Before Swimming

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSTNXPJ0Htw]

 Healthy swimming expert Michael Beach warns about the superbug Crypto that causes the most common recreational water illness and suggests anyone with diarrhea should stay out of the water. The video explains that though we use chlorine to kill germs and protect our health, Crypto can survive for days in chlorinated water.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CawLQetCfKA&feature=related]

The second of three videos produced by the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare to raise awareness of Recreational Water Illness and how to prevent them.

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by | May 24, 2010 · 2:47 am

Hotel Industry Health Risks: Wisconsin Hotel Kitchen Is Source For Gastrointestinal Illness Suffered By Hotel Guests At A Fund-Raising Luncheon

A norovirus usually comes on suddenly, with 24 to 48 hours of exposure, with symptoms lasting one or two days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can spread by eating food or drinking liquids or touching contaminated surfaces.

“…the Country Springs kitchen has been cleaned and kitchen staff have been informed about proper hand washing…”

Waukesha County health officials confirmed Monday that a norovirus is behind the outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported by many of the 500 people attending a fund-raising luncheon last week at the Country Springs Hotel.

Julianne Klimetz, a county spokeswoman, said initial lab results confirmed the cause. In addition, investigators have confirmed that two people handling the food were ill at the time.

Health officials have not gotten reports of any secondary infection, in which someone who attended the lunch and became ill then spread it to someone else.

“It can be spread quite easily from one household member to another,” Klimetz said.

For more:     http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/93988304.html

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by | May 21, 2010 · 5:48 am

Hotel Pool And Spa Health And Safety: Pool Inspection Data Reveal That Failure To Maintain Disinfectant And pH Levels Are Serious Code Violations And Put Guest Health At Risk

“…hotel/motel pool inspections had the highest percentage of disinfectant level violations (….12.8%)..”

“…The most frequently reported type of recreational water illness (RWI) outbreak is gastroenteritis, the incidence of which is increasing…”

“…Of 111,487 inspections, 13,532 (12.1%) resulted in immediate closure because of serious violations (e.g., lack of disinfectant in the water)…”

Prevention of RWIs at treated venues requires pool operators to 1) maintain appropriate disinfectant and pH levels to maximize disinfectant effectiveness and 2) ensure optimal water circulation and filtration. Pool codes, promulgated by individual state or local public health agencies, govern pool operation.

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by | May 19, 2010 · 4:11 am

Hotel Industry Health And Safety: Hotel Rooms Are A Haven For Germs And Potential Illnesses

 “A lot of times the cleaning crews will clean those glasses with the very same chemicals they’re using to clean your toilet.”

"There definitely can be hidden dangers in any hotel room, so you want to be smart,"

“…It might not just be germs lurking in your room. It could be infested with bedbugs. The problem is that you really can’t see them and they don’t just hide in the bed…”

 

Hotels, with their daily housekeeping, might seem like a haven from the dust, grime and filth of home. But be warned: germs can lurk in even the cleanest-appearing rooms. And you would be shocked where.

“…there is the TV remote control, probably the most touched item in the room. Not everybody is great about washing their hands and how thorough of a cleaning do you really think the remote gets?..”

For more:  http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/hidden-hotel-room-germ-magnets-tv-remote-water/story?id=10619191&page=1

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by | May 15, 2010 · 4:33 am

Hotel Pool Spa Health Risks: Legionaires Disease And Pontiac Fever Outbreaks Associated With “Poorly Maintained” Pools And Spas

“…a combined outbreak of Pontiac fever and legionnaires disease at a hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, associated with exposure to a poorly maintained hot tub. Ninety‐five percent of the mostly adolescent 107 ill people had Pontiac fever, and the remainder had legionnaires disease.”

Most aerosolized sources of bacterial‐contaminated warm water, including whirlpool spas, warm spring pools, decorative fountains, cooling towers, and industrial cleaning systems that use high‐pressure water, have been linked to outbreaks of Pontiac fever.

Because the hot tub had been heavily disinfected before analysis by investigators, the results of hot tub water cultures were negative, but the results of PCR for L. pneumophila were positive. As in many outbreaks, a minority (46%) of persons with Pontiac fever had elevated L. pneumophila antibodies.

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/510394

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by | May 10, 2010 · 5:51 am

Hotel And Resort Mineral Spa Safety: Risk Of Disease Transmission In Pool Spa Water Tied To Water Filtration Systems

“There’s a risk of disease transmission, there’s a risk of injury, there’s a real risk of death.”

The resort’s pool licence was revoked after inspectors found the water filtration system wasn’t working properly.

The issue lies with the pool’s 23 skimmers, which circulate the water through a central filter.

Engineers say that because of the high amount of minerals in the water, 19 of them are no longer working.

(From a WinnipegFreePress.com article)   There’s a storm a-brewin’ at a luxury resort north of Regina where health inspectors ordered a mineral spa closed this weekend over health and safety concerns.

Dwight Hayter, CEO of the Manitou Springs Hotel and Mineral Spa, said Saturday he’s got “24 layoffs and a hotel full of unhappy guests” on his hands.

“We don’t think this was necessary,” he said, acknowledging there are problems with the spa but insisting he wasn’t given enough time to fix them.

“To have another month, month-and-a-half extension on such an important issue as this, we didn’t think was a stretch.”

But deputy medical health officer John Opondo said the spa has been on probation for more than two years.

“We have been working with them progressively, we’ve had provincial partners involved in a peer review process to really try and bring them into compliance,” said Opondo.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/oddities/luxury-spa-at-saskatchewan-resort-closed-over-health-concerns-92599504.html

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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 | April 12, 2010 · 1:23 pm

Hospitality Industry Food Safety: New “HACCP Food Safety Employee Manual” From Food Safety Expert Tara Paster Focuses On Food Safety And Preparation

(From a PRWeb.com article)  Deadly outbreaks of foodborne illnesses over the past few years have focused increased attention on food safety and preparation. The Obama Administration has announced new steps to upgrade the US food safety system, with a public health-focused approach based on prevention, strengthened surveillance and enforcement, and improved response and recovery. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration recently released its updated Food Code, a model code and reference manual for the state and local agencies that regulate more than one million restaurants, retail food stores and vending and food service operations.
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These recent changes are the focus of food safety expert and Pearson author Tara Paster’s new training guide for the food service industry, The HACCP Food Safety Employee Manual, 2nd Ed. The book debuted today at the 12th Annual Food Safety Summit in Washington, D.C., the largest and most established trade show focusing on food safety, quality assurance and food security.

Designed for workers in casinos, restaurants, schools, the military and retail outlets, The HACCP Food Safety Employee Manual is a user-friendly guide to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training processes to prevent foodborne illness in retail food service. The second edition incorporates the new FDA Food Code guidelines to assist the industry in prioritizing their food safety interventions and inspections. Participants receive a Basic HACCP Certification upon completing the course.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3858584.htm

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