Posted By Derek M Hi All, looking for some advice on practical issues some of you may have had experience with working in hotels. I'm starting work with a new hotel and we are working through the Safety Management procedures, risk assessments, training, etc. We've done a lot of work identifing hazards and so on, but as I have not worked in a hotel before, I'm wondering if there are any of you out there who have managed safety for a Hotel and even after all of your best preparation, issues or hazards that were never thought of at the begining raised their heads once the hotel was operational?

Posted By Kevin Drum I would also give consideration to the risks around manual handling. I have done some work with hotels and the bales of laundry can present a fairly high risk if manually handled.

Posted By Chris121 dont forget legionella!

Posted By Merv Newman I've done a few hotel health and safety inspections and stayed in quite a few over the years. Treat an hotel as you would a factory. They don't make widgets but they do make bums-on-seats as well as legs-in-beds (roughly twice as many legs as bums) Hotelery may be classed as a service industry, service being provided by the nice smiling people in smart uniforms, but there is an industrial-type production side. Chamber maids can clean, vacuum and make up beds in up to 50 rooms a day. Manual handling and repetitive strain injury. Chemical exposure. Maintenance staff do exactly the same things they would do in a factory. Including exposure to chemicals and to those things found in some rooms which make the chamber maid vomit. Front-of-house, waiting and bar staff can be at risk of physical violence or verbal harassment. Kitchens ? Have you watched any of Gordon Ramsey's programmes ? Slips, trips, falls, RSI, chemicals, cuts, burns, verbal abuse, flying plates and those great big (really quite butch) knives. All of that at the same time. Add in stress. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points starting with the kitchen and restaurant and continuing to the building; Fire Risk Assessment and Emergency Procedures. (under which staircase do they store the alcoholic drinks ?) Take a good look at storage areas, food, drinks and materials. Health risks ? Fire risks ? manual handling problems (how much does that large round table that has to be carried up three flights of stairs 'cause it won't fit in the lift weigh ?) Animal and insect infestation. It's all there. And just because they do a nice "escargots avec aile, beure et persil" don't forget the last place the sous-chef had his doigts. Merv

Posted By Pamela Gellatly Hi Derek Just to add a few extra to the responses to date. I have worked more on the health issues and as such have been involved in the prevention and management of ill health and injury. Stress is an problem often forgotten and therefore stress risk assessments can be quite valuable. In addition many stress problems and normally most problems have a primary factor outside of work but these still have an impact on a persons ability to work and need managing as such. Critical incidents - death of guests in hotel rooms, jumping from roofs;GBH;etc. - is a fairly common occurence in a group of hotels - a single hotel maybe less so - but dependent on location etc. Management of employees witnessing such an incident is important. We also have looked at noise in the laundry areas and as such done audiometry. We have had problems with accidents with chemicals in the pool area. Numerous incidents in the kitchens. Musculoskeletal problems for porters and room attendants - but manual handling will not be the answer to this one - we get involved in fitness for purpose and exercise. Night worker questionairres are also important to ensure employees are fit for night work. We also undertake employment assessments at the commencement of work. Health Risk Assessments for employees with problems including VDU assessments can also help reduce EL claims and ensure compliance with DDA. Finally with the increase in employees from Eastern Europe and many other areas - language and the understanding of health and safety has become more of any issue. They are excellant employees but sometime it is more difficult for them to understand the risks. We have one hotel with 49 different languages!!!! So a different challenge. Hope this helps. Pamela