SAFETY AWARENESS & BASIC ACCIDENT PREVENTION

SAFETY AWARENESS & BASIC ACCIDENT PREVENTION

Safety awareness is the on going programs at all the establishment. The management of all establishment should be aware of laws, concerning safe work environment & should be concerned about the safety of employee. Periodic training should be given to all staff in order to raise awareness about safety. All the H.O.D. must ensure that the employee follow safe job procedure, correct unsafe condition immediately & take enough time to do the job, so that accident are not caused due to haste. The Executive house-keeper should develop comprehensive list of safety rules to be followed by all the house-keeping employee. This can be the part of house-keeping safety manual.

BUILD efficiency and productivity.

REDUCE workplace injuries.

SAVE workers comp cost.

GAIN confidence in safety and compliance.

BASIC GUIDELINE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENT -“SAFETY DOESN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT..”

1. Always follow instruction when using cleaning mechanical equipments.
2. Replace caps on cleaning chemicals immediately & securely after dispensing.
3. Label cleaning agents clearly.
4. Keep floor clean & dry use Signs while cleaning.
5. Dispose of rubbish carefully, use protective clothing and proper garbage bag.
6. Clean away broken glass carefully.
7. Never place cigarette bud or sharp object, in the trash bag or room attendants cart. Never place ashtray at the bedside table.
8. Use ladder carefully.
9. Lift heavy items carefully without a bent down posture.
10. Never mix more than one cleaning agents without prior knowledge. [ex. chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach]

THEFT In most hotels there is the possibility that dishonest staff will remove all hotel property, be it food, bed, linen, towel, etc. for their own use. The security of these hotel properties has the responsibility of each departmental head. A frequent stock taking and spot checks are essential not only to establish quantities of items in stock, but also to monitor unusual loses which might point to staff theft. In most hotels there is a staff entrance to the premises and a clock in system were by each staff is required to punch a card upon arrival and departure from his or her work showing the time of duty. The timekeeper will also act as a watchman to see that nothing expect the staffs personal property is removed. From the hotel and may have the right to check workers bag and basket to open parcels carried out of the hotel and to call the manager or security officer if necessary. Where it is possible to minimize theft from the hotel by the staff 'souvenir hunting' by when guest recognize to practice most hotel budget for the lose of such items as cloth hangers, ashtrays, bed sheets, towels, toothpick stand, flower vase, etc. But loss of the towel, bed sheet, table lamp, pictures, flowers and any other movable objects become costly to the hotel. It is not possible to institute a search of each department guest luggage. But upon entering a vacated room a chambermaid will know immediately that such items are missing and security staff or the management can be alerted, often before guest leaves the hotels. Some hotels may accept the loss of less expensive items of good will especially in their hotels where such theft is minimal. When most guests challenged will usually relinquish those objects, which have been packed in their luggage, often claiming it was a careless use on their behalf. Police action is not advisable. The hotel staff approaches the situation with tact and firmness the matter can be resolved

BOMB THREATS  It is an unfortunate fact that no hotel regarding of its size and situation emerge from the frightening advent of the 'Bomb scare'. Most bomb threats are made by telephone and it is generally the telephone operator or receptionist who receives them. The operator should be trained how to bear with such situation. He should write down the exact words, spoken by the caller and rate the sense and any accent, which by notice, able. Any background noises to the call might assist the police in training its place of origin. The operator should calmly tell the calls that the hotel is occupied and detonation of a bomb would cause death or injury to innocent people. A fellow member of staff should be alerted to listen in to the call, in case the operator might miss something or important The general manager or the duty manager and the security officer should be notified immediately. Under expert guidance or search for the device will commence. It must be left for experts to move and defuse. In case of serious bomb it is necessary to evacuate all guest and staff from hotels. Once the building has been cleared of all staff, guest and visitors no one should be allowed to re-enter until the all clear signs is given by the authorities

FIRE IN THE HOTEL As soon as the fire is detected and intimated to the front desk, the first thing to do is to inform the telephone department. In most hotels the telephone department plays the vital role of alarming the hotel. In, smaller hotels, which have the telephone function, merged with the front office operations the procedure would be to call the fire department in the city for help. The front office should alert all guest and inform them to use the staircase and not the elevator. The telephone exchange should always be manned during the fire to felicitate communications from one point to another. If the front office staff has to get actively involved in the fire procedures then they should search each room thoroughly, especially under beds or in closets or bathrooms to ensure that no guests are left behind. They must guide the guest through the staircase, and help in extinguishing the fire by the use of appropriate fire extinguishers (foam for electrical fires and oil fires, water for general fires, and so on)

DEATH In case of death, the front office should inform the general manager, the security officer and call for the hotel doctor of that locality. The general manager may decide to call the police, the body must be removed by the staff entrance and the room scaled till all police formalities are ones. People known to the discard are contacted through address entered on the registration card.

ACCIDENTS The house doctor should call immediately on phone and informed to the nature of the accident and the condition of the guest. The doctor‟s instruction must be followed immediately. Swabbing wounds with cotton wool and applying a coagulant such as iodine, alcohol, spirit or just plain mates or after-shave lotion must stop bleeding. If a fracture is suspected the guest is not moved till the doctor arrives. Burns are to be treated with creams meant for the purpose

VANDALISM The front office staff must call the hotel security and order the main door to be locked. If the things get out of hand the police must be called. Damage to property by resident guest The front office cashier is instructed to raise charge for the value of damages to property. A responsible guest will never argue but if the object he must be referred to the general manager

DRUNKEN GUEST It is time that a drunken guest should never be argued with. He must be politely led away from the public areas either in to an office or his room. If he is boisterous or behave unusually the hotel security must be called