Safety and Security

Safety and Security

Safety and security are concepts often used interchangeably, and it should be understood that both are means of safeguarding human and physical assets. The term ‘safety’ is used with reference to such things as disasters, emergencies, fire prevention and protection, and conditions that provide for freedom from injury and prevent damage to property. The term ‘security’ is used with reference to freedom from fear, anxiety, and doubts concerning humans as well as protection against terrorism and thefts of guest, employee, or hotel property.

Safety management programmers

The overall objective of a safety management programme is to eliminate hazards before they cause any serious accidents.

There are 10 steps in the establishment of an effective safety management programme:

1. Review work procedures and inspect work areas for safety hazards.
2. Make department heads aware of the nature and variety of hazards.
3. Establish a safety committee.
4. Maintain accurate safety records.
5. Conduct periodic in house safety-inspections.
6. Train staff members to implement safety consciousness.
7. Motivate staff members to be safety conscious.
8. Investigate and analyze all accidents and injuries.
9. Practice safety management and monitor follow-ups.
10. Review the effectiveness of your own safety management programme.

Three Es of Safety

The safety of employees can be ensured by following the three Es of safety: safety education, safety engineering, and safety rules enforcement.

Safety education:

Safety programmes and policies can only be effective if the staff is trained to think and act safely at work. The best time to start educating employees on safety is during their induction into the establishment, so that they are well versed in safety rules and policies of the establishment before they start their job.

The following should be ensured during training:

• Teaching safe methods, with particular emphasis on areas of potential danger and how these can be guarded against.
• Demonstrating the use of safety equipment installed in the establishment, and the location and use of first-aid materials.
• Inculcating in people the ability to recognize the signs of hazards around them.
• Teaching staff the legal implications of non-adherence to safety procedured.

Safety Engineering:

This involves the building in of safety-procedures into the structure of the establishment--------in the equipment, furniture, and fittings and in their proper arrangement within the space. Equipment used by the housekeeping employees should be selected to ensure safety in design.

Safety rules enforcement:

Rules, when not implemented or enforced, are not effective. It is not enough to know about safety themes and procedured, but more important to put the knowledge gained into practice. This does not come easily to all employess and, therefore, needs to be enforced by rule and practice.

Job Safety Analysis

The executive housekeeper needs to develop a ‘housekeeping safety manual” for the use of all housekeeping employees. This manual should expalin in comprehensive terms the safest methods of perfroming each task to accomplish a particular job. For this prupose, the housekeeper, with the help of the supervisors, needs to carry out a job safety analysis. A job safety analysis is a detailed report that lists every job function performed in the housekeeping department and lists every job function performed in the housekeeping department and lists potential hazards, safe methods, tips, and ‘how-tos’ for each task.

Potential Hazards In Housekeeping

To reduce safety risks, all employees should be aware of potential safety hazards. These hazards may include:

• Faulty equipment.
• Damaged flooring and chipped tiles.
• Slippery floors and spills not mopped up.
• Slippery guest bathrooms.
• Cracked or broken glass.
• Worn-out elctrical insulation or fittings.
• Overloaded electrical sockets.
• Worn-out carpets and rugs.
• Cleaning equipment left lying around.
• Unsafe use of ladders
• Inadequate lighting
• Loose stair treads.
• Cleaning agents left uncapped.
• Non-adherence to instructions outlined in the material safety data sheets (MSDS)
• Handling corrosive cleaning agents with bare hands.
• Mixing certain chemical cleaners, causing undesirable/dangerous reactions.
• Cleaning agents kept in unmarked or wrongly marked containers.
• Incorrect use of trolleys.
• Incorrect methods of bending and lifting.
• Unsatisfactory hygiene and sanitation standards;
• Incorrect posture.

Safety awareness and Accident Prevention

Safety awareness should be an ongoing programme at all establishments. The management of all establishments should be aware of the laws concerning safe work environments and should be concerned about the safety of their employees. Periodic training should be provided to all staff in order to raise awareness about safety. All employees should be aware of the potential hazards in their respective departments. All heads of departments must ensure that employees follow safe job procedures , correct unsafe conditions immediately, and take adequate time to do the job so that accidents are not caused due to haste. The executive housekeeper should develop a comprehensive list of safety rules to be followed by all housekeeping employees. This can be a part of the ‘housekeeping safety manual’.

Basic Guidelines for the prevention of Accidents:

The following guidelines can be followed for the prevention of accidents:

• Always follow instructions when using any cleaning equipment.
• Replace caps on cleaning chemicals immediately and securely after dispensing.
• Label cleaning agents clearly.
• Keep floors clean and dry.
• Place warning and safety signs around the area while cleaning.
• Mark faulty equipment as ‘out of order’.
• Dispose of rubbish carefully.
• Never place cigarette butts or sharp objects I the trash bag on the room attendants carts.
• Open and shut doors carefully.
• Clean away broken glass carefully.

Procedures to follow in case of an accident

When a guest or employee has met with an accident at the hotel, the procedure followed should be as follows:

1. With the help of another person, check if the victim requires any assistance,
2. Report the matter immediately to the manager concerned.
3. Either administer first aid (if you are trained to do so) or get help from trained personnel.
4. Shift the victim immediately to a hospital, if required. If the injury is serious, call an ambulance for the same. Follow all necessary first-aid measures until the ambulance arrives.
5. Fill in the accident report form and hand it over to the manager concerned.

Fire prevention and fire fighting

Fires may be classified into four groups, based on their source of fuel.

Class A: These are fires with trash, wood, paper or other ordinary combustible materials as their fuel source.

Class B: These are fires with flammable or combustible liquids and gases as their fuel source.

Class C: These are fires involving electric equipment.

Class D: these are fires with certain ignitable metals as the fuel source.

Prevention of fire:

Fires may be prevented if fire hazards are identified and eliminated. Some unsafe practices that may lead to fires are as follows:

• Guests smoking in bed.
• The hotel not providing sand urns.
• Using high-wattage bulbs in lamps.
• Leaving linen chute doors open.
• Storing rags and cloths with residues of cleaning polish still on them.
• Not unplugging electrical appliances when not in use.
• Using faulty electrical equipment or sockets.
• Leaving magnifying glasses where sun can catch them.

Each establishment must conduct fire drills on a periodic basis and ensure that all staff attend these drills so that they know what is to be done during a fire emergency.

Fire warning systems

These may be electrically powered manually operated systems, automatic fire detection systems, or a combination of both. The usual components of such systems include:

Fire Alarms: These can be set off by smoke detectors, heat detectors, sprinkler systems, or pull stations. The most common types of fire alarms are the ones operated by pull stations located in corridors, lobbies, and near elevators. The pull alarms are red in colour, with a glass panel that needs to be broken to set off the alarm.

Sprinkler Systems: These are found in most hotel establishments, especially in corridors and rooms. They are situated on the ceiling and automatically spray water when temperature rises above a certain level.

Smoke Detectors: These are set off by smoke. The two types of smoke available are photoelectric detectors and ionization detectors. Photoelectric detectors are alarms triggered off when smoke blocks a beam of light emanating from the detector. In the ionization type of smoke detectors, the alarm sound when the detector senses a shift in electrical conductivity between two plates.

Dealing in case of fire emergency

1. Immediately switch on the nearest fire alarms.
2. If possible, try to put out the fire with suitable equipment, remembering to direct the extinguishers at the base of the flames. Do not attempt to fight a fire if there is any danger of personal risk.
3. Close all the windows and switch off all electrical appliances, including fans and lights.
4. Close the door to the affected area and report to your immediate supervisor for instructions.
5. Carry out instructions--- for instance, rouse guests in the section and direct them to the nearest fire-escape route. Each guestroom should have the route to the nearest fire escape drawn out and displayed in a place where it is most likely to be seen by the guests.
6. Report to the departmental fire representative for a roll call. The housekeeper on duty should check the list (in the form of the duty rosters) of the staff who are on duty so that all those on duty can be accounted for.
7. Remain at the assembly point until instructed to do otherwise.
8. Do not use lifts.

Fire Fighting Equipment

Staff should be trained in operating the fire-fighting equipment. Types of fire-fighting equipment vary from simple ones such as buckets of sand and water, fire blankets, and hose reels to more complex fire extinguishers. Water buckets should be constantly checked for adequate water levels and sand buckets should be kept dry. Water should not be used in case of fires involving electricity.

Types of fire extinguishers

Fire extinguishers can be of various types:

1. Dry Powder
2. Dry Chemical foam
3. Halon/vapourizing Liquid
4. Water-gas or soda-acid extinguishers
5. Carbon dioxide

Dry powder:

These are usually meant for multipurpose use with various types of fire. They contain an extinguishing agent and use a compressed, non-flammable gas as a propellant.

Dry chemical Foam:

These are primarily used on flammable liquids, oils, and fats, but may have multipurpose uses.

Halon/Vapuorizing Liquid:

These contain a gas or a volatile liquid that interrupts the chemical reaction that takes place when fuels burn. This type of extinguisher is often used to protect valuable electrical equipment since they leave no residue to clean up. Halon extinguishers have a limited range, usually 4-6 feet. The initial application of halon should be made towards the base of fire, continuing even after the flames have been extinguished.

Water-gas or soda-acid extinguishers:

These extinguishers contain water and compressed gas and should only be used on class A (wood or paper) fires.

Carbon-dioxide:

These extinguishers are most effective on class B and C (liquid and electrical) fires. Since the gas disperses quickly, these extinguishers are only effective from a distance of 3-8 feet. The carbon dioxide is stored as a compressed liquid in the extinguisher; as it expands on release, it cools the surrounding air. Since the fire could re-ignite, continue to apply the agent even after the fire appears to be out.

CRIME PREVENTION

It is imperative that all properties have a crime prevention committee or a security committee. The committee should consist of key management personnel, including department heads. Supervisors and other selected employees can also be roped in for valuable information and inputs. The committee members should meet on a scheduled basis periodically to review past plans and form new ones. The general responsibilities of this committee should be

• Design a security booklet for all employees;
• Develop orientation and training programmers on crime prevention in coordination with the training department.
• Analyse and resolve recurring security issues and investigate any security-related incident;
• Conduct spot security checks and inspections of the property.
• Liaise with the local police department;
• Monitor the keeping of records and documentation of all security-related incidents.

DEALING WITH EMERGENCIES

The nature of all emergencies is the same: they are uncontrollable and unforeseen. Thus all properties must be prepared for them and have emergency plans put down in writing. Emergencies may come in any form---earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, bomb threats, and so on. Emergency plans must be a part of SOPs. These procedures must specify:

• What procedures are to be followed in case of an emergency;
• Who will be responsible----the plan should specify employee duties and placement within the facility during an emergency and after an emergency.
• How the procedures will be followed; and
• When the specified procedures should be followed---for instance, when should the guests be notified of a bomb threat, or when should the evacuation process be initiated.

Planning for an emergency

Contingency planning should be done on the following lines:

Employee Training:

Training in emergency procedures is essential to deal with emergencies.

Emergency Resources:

The names and telephone numbers of outside agencies that may be of help during an emergency need to be listed and kept in a prominent, accessible place.

Emergency Checklists:

Each department head should develop a checklist outlining the actions he/she must take in the event of an emergency.

Drills:

Fire emergency drills should be conducted periodically and it should be mandatory for all staff to attend these in shifts.

First-aid training and supplies

A thorough training in first-aid procedures, especially cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), should be given to selected employees. All other employees should be trained in at least the basics of first aid. A complete first-aid kit should be maintained at all times.

Transportation and housing:

For ward planning should be done for transportation of guests in case their relocation is required in the event of an emergency. Potential relocation sites should be identified.

Contingency Plan review

The contingency plan should be reviewed by people who are responsible for the prevention of losses.

Dealing with Bomb Threats

Bomb threats may be delivered in writing or orally, in person or over the telephone. In case of a written threat in the form of a letter, note or telegram, the message and the envelope should be handled carefully and held only at the corners to preserve finger prints and other evidence. Protect the document and the envelope, and hand it over to the general manager. Inform the police of the contents of the note.

If the letter is delivered by a messenger, detain the person for questioning by the police, if possible. If the messenger has left the premises, the employee accepting the note immediately prepare a memorandom listing the circumstances, the time the message was received, any known witnesses, and a detailed description of the messenger.

In case the bomb threat was made orally, as in any employee becoming aware of a bomb threat by overhearing someone make such a threat, the person should immediately convey the information to the general manager in a discreet manner (so as not to alarm the guests). The police should be informed promptly. The person issuing the threat should be kept under observation, if possible, and the person’s physical characteristics noted. If this person leaves the hotel before he or she can be stopped to determine his or her identity, record the mode of transportation and the direction of travel. This may include a bus number, car rental company, the automobile description-----including the model, license plate number, and state-----and the number of persons in the car. These facts should be furnished to the general manager immediately for communication to security personnel and the police.

Unfortunately, “bomb hoax” telephone calls are a common occurrence. All persons responsible for the management of their building or staff should instruct their telephone operator to report all such calls to them confidentially and immediately. Usually bomb threats come in anonymous telephone calls.

As soon as it is clear that the caller is making a bomb threat, let him finish his message without interruption. The call is usually brief, so that there is no chance to trace the number. Therefore telephone operators should record the information accurately in order to provide the security and police personnel with as much documented information as possible. The information can be regarding:

• Caller’s sex and approximate age.
• Noticeable condition affecting speech such as drunkenness, laughter, anger, excitement and incoherency.
• Peculiarities of speech such as foreign accent, tone and pitch of voice.
• Background noises audible during the call such as music, traffic, talking or machinery.

When the caller has given his message try to keep him in conversation. The following are key questions and should be asked if possible, after the caller has given his message.

1. Where is the bomb located?
2. What time will it explode?
3. When was it placed?
4. Why was it placed?

Note whether the caller repeated his message or any part of it. Note the exact time of its receipt. Write the message down immediately after the call. Immediately after that notify the police.

Housekeeping employees may also be a part of the search team looking for unclaimed, unidentified, or unusual foreign objects that could contain a bomb. All housekeeping employees should be aware of the evacuation plans explained in the safety manual of the property and help in evacuation if necessary. In case of an explosion, the employees should help out in the rescue process and provide first-aid as required.

Dealing with terrorism—Steps and Precautions

Good housekeeping not only enhances the ambience of the hotel, it is also reduces the opportunity for placing suspicious items or bags and helps to deal with false alarms and hoaxes. The following tips with regards to housekeeping can help reduce the risk of planting dangerous material on hotel properties:

1. Limit the installation and use of litter bins around the hotel and ensure that the few installed are checked and cleared regularly.
2. Procure litter bins which have small openings.
3. Review the location of litter bins. For instance, these should not be placed near support structures.
4. Use of clear bags of waste disposal provides an easier opportunity for the staff to conduct an initial examination for suspicious items
5. Keep public and communal areas---exit, entrances, reception areas, stairs, halls, washrooms and service corridors—clean and tidy.
6. Lock unoccupied offices, rooms, and storage cupboards.
7. Have in place an agreed procedure for the management of contractors, their vehicles and waste collection services. The vehicle registration mark of each vehicle and its occupant should be known to security in advance.
8. Ensure stringent checks on the people recruited to the department and those on contract.
9. Set the procedure and train staff to identify and suspicious items. Make sure the staff understand that security is part of everyone’s responsibilities.
10. Formulate and maintain contingency plans dealing with bomb threats, suspect enquiries, explosion, structural collapse, and evacuation.
11. Planning should incorporate the seven key instructions to most incidents:

• Do not touch suspicious items.
• Move everyone to a safest distance.
• Prevent others from approaching cordoned area.
• Communicate safely to staff, business visitors, and the public.
• Use hand-held radios or mobile phones away from the immediate vicinity of a suspect item.
• Notify the police.
• Ensure that whoever found the item or witnessed the incident is available to brief the police.

12. Screening of hand baggage by appropriate mechanical detectors should be carried out for all guests and employees on entrance to the property.
13. All types of mails and parcels should be screened by detectors.
14. Good quality doors and windows are essential to ensure building security.
15. Use toughened glass with anti-shatter film for windows and doors.
16. Have close-circuit television (CCTV) systems in place. It is important to remember that CCTVs are effective only if they are properly maintained and monitored.
17. Pruning all vegetation and trees, especially near entrances, will assist in surveillance and prevent concealment of any packages.
18. All hotels and restaurants should have an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) available and regularly tested.
19. The security measures deployed should not be made public to avoid alerting potential terrorists about what the hotel staff know and what they are doing about it.
20. Have a proper first aid facility on premises.
21. Install and maintain sufficient and proper fire-fighting equipment.
22. Vulnerable hotels should provide a booklet for safety to all guests with the following points mentioned:
    1. Do not answer the door in a hotel or motel room without verifying the caller. If a person claims to be an employee, call the front-desk and ask if someone from their staff is supposed to have access to your room and for what purpose.
    2. Keep your room key with you at all times and do not needlessly display it in public. Should you misplace it, please notify the front-desk immediately.
    3. Close the door securely whenever you are in your room and use all of the locking devices provided.
    4. Do not invite strangers to your room.
    5. Do not draw attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash or expensive jewellery.
    6. Place all valuables in the hotel or motel’s safe deposit box.
    7. When returning to your hotel late in the evening, be aware of your surroundings, and use the main entrance.
    8. Take a few moments and locate the nearest exit that may be used in the event of an emergency.
    9. If you see any suspicious activity, notify the hotel operator or a staff member.

Guest and Employee Thefts

Guest Thefts

There are incidents where guests take away items that are not meant to be taken away by them. These items may be picture frames, bathrobes, towels, and so on. However, some articles are meant to be takeaways. These are small items that prominently display the hotel’s monogram. To minimize losses through guest theft, a count of the number of amenities placed in the guestroom if always kept and if the guest asks for extra numbers, then this has to be entered in a log book. The room attendant can check the numbers while cleaning the next day.

Luxury hotels charge a high enough rate to compensate for stolen items. However, these are some measures that may discourage guest thefts.

• Items such as monogrammed towels, bathrobes, etc may be placed on sale in hotel gift-shops. This may reduce the likelihood of theft since guests have the option of purchasing these items.
• Always keep the storage rooms closed and locked so that guests do not get a chance to take away items from there. Amenities stored on carts should be stocked in a secure place or in a locked compartment. Guests walking down the hallway or corridor may easily take home an adequate supply of shampoo, soap, and so on in a matter of minutes if these are are left unattended in the corridor.
• Affix or nail down guestroom items and fixtures to appropriate surfaces. If decorations are not nailed, glued, bolted, or otherwise anchored to the wall and are small enough to fit in a suitcase, they are prime targets for guest theft. The easier an item is to remove, the more likely it is that it will be removed. All pictures, mirrors, and wall decoration should be discreetly affixed to the wall. Lamps should be too large to fit easily into a suitcase or bag. Expensive items such as televisions should be bolted and equipped with an alarm that the front desk or security if an attempt is made to remove the item.
• The closer the room is to the parking area, the easier it is remove an item from a room.

Employee theft

The management should detail explicit regulations concerning employee theft. The employee handbook should spell out the consequences of stealing hotel property. It is important that the management not discriminate against any employee when enforcing these rules:

• While screening applicants for the job, a thorough check of the background, including a check for any criminal convictions, should be carried out.
• Colour-coded uniforms and identification badges with the employees’ photographs and signatures discourage people bent on thievery from trying to pass themselves off as employees.
• Orientation and training programmers should emphasize the value of honesty.
• Supervisors should closely monitor behavior and adherence to company policies and procedures during the employee training and probationary period.
• Good inventory control procedures should be followed. Conduct a monthly inventory of all
• housekeeping supplies, such as toilet paper, amenities, and linen. If the items in storage do not match the usage rate or if too little stock is on the shelves, it may be an indication of employee theft.
• All storeroom doors should be kept locked and these locks should be changed periodically to reduce the opportunity for theft.
• An effective key-control programme, lost and found procedure, and gate-pass system should be in place and enforced at tall times.
• Regular locker inspections also discourage employees from stealing for lack of a hiding place for articles.
• Employee entrances should have a security staff office that monitors arriving and departing employees.
• Employee parking should be well-lit and sufficiently far from the hotel building.

SICKNESS AND DEATH

On many occasions, housekeepers find a sick guest on their hands. If the guest is too ill travel home or it is inconvenient for him or her to do so, as in case of an overseas traveller, he/she should be seen by the doctor on call at the hotel or by local doctor. If the medical aid is on the way, the housekeeper may have to administer first aid to the ailing guest. Hotel guests who are ill should be regularly visited by the house keeping staff.

Sometimes, illnesses or accidents lead to death. Staff who encounter such a situation should not touch anything in the room as they might be helpful in establishing the cause of death. The employee should lock the door and inform the executive housekeeper, who in turn conveys the information to the general manager. The police are then informed about the death. The door of the guest room where a death has occurred should be double-locked and sealed until the police have arrived. The staff should assist in any subsequent investigations being carried out by the authorities.