Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Safety Solutions for Hotel Housekeeping


On July 1, 2013, a global boycott of Hyatt hotels ended after nearly a year of protesting when the hotel chain reached an agreement with UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada. The boycott was in response to widespread evidence of harmful working conditions for hotel housekeepers, including reports of extensive ergonomic and musculoskeletal injuries.

The boycott shed light on the need to protect hotel housekeepers from a variety of safety and health risks. According to Ray Wood, Sr. Director of Global Safety and Security for Marriott Vacations Worldwide, housekeeper safety is an issue Marriott is addressing with a comprehensive program. In fact, at Marriott’s headquarters, an experienced specialist works exclusively to identify methods for making housekeeping safe, effective and economically sound.

“It’s so much cheaper to prevent these [incidents] than to pay for them,” says Wood about the ergonomic and musculoskeletal injuries often suffered by maids.

Some of the strategies Marriott has implemented include preventing slips and falls by providing appropriate footwear to workers and consistently training housekeepers through demonstrations of how to complete tasks like making beds and cleaning bathrooms without causing strains and sprains.

Marriot has also found safer equipment to utilize, including lighter weight carts that are easier to maneuver than carts traditionally used by housekeepers and brushes with 3 ft. extensions for cleaning bathtubs to prevent the back strain often caused by leaning over to scrub bathtubs that are built into walls. Brushes are also provided for cleaning drinking glasses to prevent finger strain that results from cleaning glasses with washrags. Additionally, Marriott safety professionals regularly review vacuum cleaners to ensure that they are using the safest models.

To stay aware of new safety and health concerns to housekeepers, Marriott’s loss prevention team frequently interviews housekeeping staff about safety issues, giving them the opportunity to voice concerns.

Click here for more about the Hyatt boycott and the agreement with UNITE HERE.