Tag Archives: Injuries

by | May 30, 2011 · 10:56 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Injury Risks: Children Seriously Injured In UK Hotel "Jumping Castle" When Wind Gust Sends It Crashing Into A Telephone Pole

“Seventy per cent of all injuries on jumping castles occur from falls, most of these result in fractures… there can also be concussions,”

“…Three children in the UK were seriously injured after a jumping castle they were playing in was lifted off the ground by a wind gust before crashing into a telegraph pole….”

Seven-year-old Koby Dakin, his brother Kyle Dakin, 10, and eight-year-old Imogen Wright were thrown into the air after winds exceeding 60 km/h ripped the castle from its supports during a christening party at the White House Hotel in Whitby, North Yorkshire, at the weekend.

Mr Young’s son Koby was airlifted to hospital suffering a broken leg, two arm fractures, a broken rib, punctured lung and head trauma, while his older brother was treated in hospital for a leg injury.

Imogen Wright was hospitalised with head injuries and a concussion.

For more:  http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8255791/children-injured-after-jumping-castle-blows-away

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Guest Injury Risks: Children Seriously Injured In UK Hotel "Jumping Castle" When Wind Gust Sends It Crashing Into A Telephone Pole

Filed under Guest Issues, Injuries, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | May 2, 2011 · 4:05 pm

Hospitality Industry Workers' Comp Issues: State Of Illinois Seriously Reviews Employee Awards, Employer Liability And Injury Review Standards

“…In just one example of how Illinois’ system is abused, a hotel maid recently was awarded a $42,500 claim for carpal tunnel after working less than 30 days and 180 hours at a Springfield hotel…”

  • The workplace should be the primary cause of the injury or aggravation of the previously existing condition
  • Employers should not be on the hook financially for injuries that occurred outside of the workplace or in the course of previous employment
  • Health care providers should use nationally recognized American Medical Association and utilization review standards when determining a person’s impairment and treatment following an injury
  • These AMA standards are used in more than three dozen states across the United States and provide a measure of objectivity
  • Workers who are injured while under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol should not be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits
  • The only exception would be if they can provide that the workplace caused the injury
  • Illinois should limit “wage differential” awards that are currently paid for life
  • These monetary awards are designed to make up the difference between an employee’s pay before and after an injury and were never intended to be paid past retirement age

Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2011/05/01/1690712/guest-view-its-time-to-get-workers.html#ixzz1LJ1LGtpZ

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Workers' Comp Issues: State Of Illinois Seriously Reviews Employee Awards, Employer Liability And Injury Review Standards

Filed under Claims, Health, Injuries, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Training

Tagged as , , ,

by | March 31, 2011 · 10:05 am

Hospitality Industry Accident Risks: Texas Hotel Sued For Negligence In Guest "Slip And Fall" Injury

Pomrenke accuses Homewood Suites of negligence for not warning customers of the dangers of the wet floor or offering an alternative route around the area. She asks for an unspecified amount of money in damages for medical costs, loss of income and court fees. Pomrenke represents herself in this matter and asks for a jury trial.

A Harris County woman is suing a Memorial hotel after she allegedly dislocated her knee when she slipped on a wet lobby floor. Emily L. Pomrenke filed a lawsuit March 28 in Harris County District Court against Homewood Suites Hilton-Austin South.

According to the petition, Pomrenke was a guest of the Homewood Suites in April 2009. As she was walking in the hotel lobby with her son in the early afternoon, Pomrenke says, she slipped on the wet marble floor that had just been cleaned by the hotel staff. She alleges she dislocated her knee, bruised her tailbone and tore a retina in her right eye in the fall. Pomrenke claims an accident report was written up by the hotel manager and that she received a phone call from the hotel’s insurance carrier, which told her Homewood Suites would take full responsibility for the accident.

For more:  http://www.ultimatememorial.com/stories/239385-memorial-hotel-named-in-slip-and-fall-claim

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Accident Risks: Texas Hotel Sued For Negligence In Guest "Slip And Fall" Injury

Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Injuries, Liability, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as , , ,

by | March 24, 2011 · 7:42 am

Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risks: Video From The "Health And Safety Authority" In Ireland Demonstrates "Risk Factors" Associated With Housekeepers Handling Of Laundry

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

  • Manual Handling Case Study 15 Handling Hotel Linen
  • On Screen Text: Manual Handling: Handling of linen in a hotel bedroom
  • Hotel employee removing linen from hotel bedroom
  • Scene 1:
    A hotel employee has just finished changing the linen on a bed. He walks out of the hotel room and down a corridor to throw the linen into an already-full black bag. He then throws the bag over his shoulder and down the corridor further, and throws the black bag into a lift. The lift is already full of other black linen bags.
  • On Screen Text:
    Need to carry out a risk assessment of this task
    Look at how the job is carried out
    Collect information: Load weight, etc
    Identify risk factors with the job
    Make changes to improve the job
  • On Screen Text:
    Risk Factors/Problems
  • Scene 2:
    Still image of character throwing the bag into the lift. Large Red “X” marks indicate the risk factors with the job.
    Load is too heavy
    Load is too large
    Difficult to grasp
    Physical effort is too strenuous
    Bending and twisting of the trunk
  • On Screen Text:
    The new system of work: Assess risk to reduce and reorganise manual handling
  • Scene 3:
    The hotel employee put the used bed linen into a linen trolley, rolls the trolley out of the room and down the corridor to the waiting lift. He rolls the trolley into the lift.
  • On Screen Text:
    Manual Handling : Assess to avoid, reduce or reorganise

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risks: Video From The "Health And Safety Authority" In Ireland Demonstrates "Risk Factors" Associated With Housekeepers Handling Of Laundry

Filed under Health, Injuries, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as , , , ,

by | March 21, 2011 · 3:54 pm

Hospitality Industry Workers Comp Risks: Virginia Hotel Employee Awarded Workers Comp Benefits After Fall In Restroom Injures Shoulder Already Receiving Medical Treatment

The Virginia Court of Appeals found that a cook’s right shoulder injury was not related to a preexisting condition so it awarded him benefits.

  • A cook for a hotel slipped on a wet floor in the restroom at his workplace and fell, hitting his right shoulder against a sink.
  • Before the fall, he sought medical treatment for right shoulder pain.
  • He required further treatment after the fall and sought benefits.
  • The hotel argued that there was no causal connection between the cook’s fall at work and his shoulder injury and that his injury was a preexisting condition.
  • The Virginia Court of Appeals disagreed and awarded benefits to the cook.

The court said the cook had different diagnoses and treatments before and after the fall. The court noted that the cook was undergoing treatment for tendonitis before the fall and was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain, contusion, and sprain after the fall. The cook received injections both before and after the fall, but they consisted of different drugs. Additionally, the surgical recommendations before and after the fall differed.

The hotel also argued that the cook failed to disclose his prior shoulder injury to two doctors, so their opinions should not have been relied on. The court disagreed. One doctor noted that the cook’s past medical history was “noncontributory,” and the second noted that it was “negative.” The court said these terms did not necessarily establish that the cook did not inform the doctors of his previous shoulder problems. Rather, the terms could have been interpreted to indicate a lack of foundation for alternative causation.

For more:  http://www.riskandinsurance.com/story.jsp?storyId=533334406

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Workers Comp Risks: Virginia Hotel Employee Awarded Workers Comp Benefits After Fall In Restroom Injures Shoulder Already Receiving Medical Treatment

Filed under Claims, Health, Injuries, Insurance, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership

Tagged as , ,

by | March 18, 2011 · 8:19 am

Hotel Industry Accident Risks: Guests At Two Florida Hotels Are Critically Injured And Die In Falls At Properties

The Auburn Villager has confirmed that Mary Beth Goodner, an Auburn University student and long-time Auburn resident, has died in an accident in Key West, Fla., during AU’s spring break. Allyson Crean, public information officer for the Key West Police Department, said the investigation is still open and the police report is not yet available.

  • Crean said Goodner, 22, fell down a spiral staircase at the hotel where she was staying in Key West. The call came in to the police department about 3:30 a.m., and Goodner was pronounced dead at the hospital this morning.

Authorities say a man is in serious condition after falling five floors from an Orlando hotel. Orange County Fire Rescue responded to the Friday incident at the Hilton Orlando near International Drive and State Road 528.

  • The man was taken to a nearby hospital. No additional details on the situation were available, except that the hotel doesn’t have balconies

For more:  http://www.auburnvillager.com/story.html?1300391487005367

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/18/2121728/man-falls-5-floors-from-orlando.html##ixzz1Gy5Lt3XL

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Accident Risks: Guests At Two Florida Hotels Are Critically Injured And Die In Falls At Properties

Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Injuries, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , ,

by | December 14, 2010 · 6:36 am

Hotel Industry Employee Risks: Texas Hotel Owners “Failed To Carry Workers’ Comp Insurance And Enforce Safety Procedures” Says Suit Brought By Banquet Service Employee Who Was Injured On Job

On or about August 13, 2009, Plaintiff suffered an injury to her right shoulder area when a co-worker, Banquet Manager, Gus Garza, suddenly and without warning struck her while opening a door which was intended to be an exit door instead of an entrance door as he was using it,” the suit filed Dec. 7 in Jefferson County District Court states.

She claims the defendant companies — HTL Operating doing business as Elegante Hotel and Investment Corporation of America — did not carry workers’ compensation insurance at the time of the incident. As a result, Howard claims she should be entitled to all common-law damages.

A Beaumont woman has filed suit against the owners of a hotel where she claims she was injured while working as a banquet server. Sharon Howard alleges she was performing her duties as a banquet server at MCM Elegante Hotel in Beaumont on Aug. 13, 2009, when she sustained injuries to her shoulder.

Because of the incident, Howard suffered a severe and permanently disabling injury to her right shoulder and has not been able to work, according to the complaint.

She blames the hotel for causing her injury and for the pain and suffering she endured, as well as the medical costs she incurred.

The hotel’s owners negligently failed to enforce proper safety procedure and failed to properly equip doors, according to the complaint.

In her suit, Howard is seeking a judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of Jefferson County District Court, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, attorney’s fees and other relief the court deems just.

John Werner of Reaud, Morgan and Quinn in Beaumont will be representing her.

For more:  http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/231951-hotel-server-sues-over-shoulder-injuries

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Employee Risks: Texas Hotel Owners “Failed To Carry Workers’ Comp Insurance And Enforce Safety Procedures” Says Suit Brought By Banquet Service Employee Who Was Injured On Job

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

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | November 25, 2010 · 7:45 am

Hotel Industry Employee Issues: Unions Unite To Highlight “Housekeeper Workloads” And Workplace Injuries (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfqf5KoVXRg]

Hyatt housekeepers have been given excessive work loads in cleaning extra rooms to the extent that they are experiencing numerous work injuries. In addition, their exhaustion at the end of the work day is seriously eroding their family lives.

On Nov. 18, 2010 a protest was held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago to draw attention to this. Supporting the housekeepers (members of UNITE HERE Local 1) were some 50 labor and community activists, including CACOSH (Chicago Area Committee on Occupational Safety and Health) Director Emanuel Blackwell who declared “work should not hurt.”

To dramatize the excessive work load of the housekeepers, the protesters marched with mops and buckets up to the entrance of the Hyatt to explain that they were there to help the housekeepers do their work. They were not allowed in. One housekeeper brought some fitted bed sheets as examples for the management to consider instead of the non-fitted sheets the workers are forced to use, causing extra backbreaking work when making beds. When she left the sample sheets at the hotel, management had the police write her a ticket for littering. Length – 7:28. Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220.

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Employee Issues: Unions Unite To Highlight “Housekeeper Workloads” And Workplace Injuries (Video)

Filed under Health, Labor Issues, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as , , , ,

by | November 23, 2010 · 5:52 am

Hotel Industry Employee Safety Issues: OSHA Will Target Hospitality Employers That Exhibit “A Pattern Of Non-Compliance” With An Aggressive Enforcement Campaign

“…if OSHA believes that the violation at a particular hotel is indicative of a pattern of non-compliance, then it will launch investigations into other hotels owned or operated by the same company. This company “profiling” should put all hotels on high alert…”

“… In light of the significant penalties and the new focus on enforcement from the government and labor unions, it is important for hotels to take worker safety issues seriously and to have a plan in place should OSHA launch an investigation into their respective properties…”

The housekeepers allege injuries arising from their daily room quotas and argue that cleaning rooms and lifting heavy mattresses lead to accidents and workplace injuries. The complaints allege that workers are discouraged from reporting injuries due to fear of retaliation and that monetary rewards for having a safe workplace discourages complaints. The housekeepers recommend several solutions, including changes to fitted sheets, mops and other equipment used to clean a room, as well as a cap on their daily room quota.

Hospitality employers must be on alert of similar OHSA complaints at its properties. OHSA has begun an aggressive enforcement campaign against employers when it unveiled its “Severe Violator Enforcement Program” (“SVEP”) earlier this year. Under SVEP, OSHA will target those employers who disregard their obligations through willful, repeated, or multiple violations. This will lead to a significant increase in OSHA inspections at workplaces that not only have a history of health and safety violations, but also allows for nationwide inspections of related workplaces.

 Thus, Additionally, because OSHA investigators are more likely to approach local managers at each property, it is important that these managers receive proper training on OSHA regulations and how to comply with an OSHA investigation. Accordingly, hotels should take the necessary steps now to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state requirements through attorney-client self-audits.

For more:  http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c08060f9-c1d2-4b11-ba11-e20e66a39ab3

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Employee Safety Issues: OSHA Will Target Hospitality Employers That Exhibit “A Pattern Of Non-Compliance” With An Aggressive Enforcement Campaign

Filed under Health, Injuries, Labor Issues, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as , , ,

by | November 9, 2010 · 6:49 pm

Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risk Management: Housekeepers File “Multicity Injury Complaint” That Demands Hotel Management Use “Fitted Sheets”, “Long-Handled Mops And Dusters” And Lower Room Quotas To Reduce Injuries

The complaints recommend the hotels:

  • use fitted sheets to reduce the number of times that women must lift 100-plus pound mattresses;
  • long-handled mops and dusters, so workers do not have to get down on their hands and knees to clean the floors or climb bathtubs to reach high surfaces;
  • and what the union considers to be “reasonable” room quotas.

Housekeepers at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa joined with their mainland counterparts to file the first multicity injury complaint against the hotel operator with the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In addition to Honolulu, complaints were filed by workers at a dozen Hyatt properties in San Antonio; Chicago; San Francisco; Santa Clara, Calif.; Los Angeles; Long Beach, Calif.; and Indianapolis. Those properties employ more than 3,500 workers, according to Unite Here Local 5, the hotel workers union.

Some Hyatt properties require room attendants to clean as many as 30 rooms a day, nearly double the industry standard, according to the union. Housekeeping duties include heavy lifting of beds, linens and other work that can strain the body.

For more:  http://www.staradvertiser.com/business/businessbriefs/20101110_Business_Briefs.html

Comments Off on Hotel Industry Employee Injury Risk Management: Housekeepers File “Multicity Injury Complaint” That Demands Hotel Management Use “Fitted Sheets”, “Long-Handled Mops And Dusters” And Lower Room Quotas To Reduce Injuries

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

Tagged as , , ,