HOUSEKEEPING OPERATION: SAFETY AND SECURITY

EXAMINING HOW TO ENSURE SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE HOTEL THROUGH EFFICIENT HOUSEKEEPING OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT.

REDUCE SAFETY RISKS, SAFETY TIPS FOR STAFF, SAFETY TRAINING FOR STAFF, SECURITY ISSUES IN HOUSEKEEPING AND KEY CONTROL PROCEDURES.

1. CHAPTER 8
SAFETY &
SECURITY
IN HOTEL
By: Mumtazul Ilyani

2. OBJECTIVES
•Examining how to ensure safety and
security in the hotel through efficient
housekeeping operations.

3. SAFETY & SECURITY
•Safety: refers to the actual conditions in the
work environment that provide for freedom
from injury and damage to property.
•Security: refers to the prevention or defense
of theft, fire, and other emergencies.

4. •The two hotel departments most likely to have the largest
number of accidents and injuries are maintenance and
housekeeping.
•Housekeeping & Maintenance departments have the
highest risk for accidents and injuries; because
Both departments employ more people than other
department.
working in these departments require physical activity
and equipment use - both of which increase the risks
of accident and injury.

5. To reduce safety risks;
•The executive housekeeper must,
be aware of potential safety hazards
develop procedures to prevent accidents
develop ongoing safety training programs
be aware of the laws that regulate the work
environment

6. Unsafe Work Environments
cause;
•insurance and liability concerns
expensive medical costs
legal problems e.g. fines or
lawsuits
decreased productivity
•employee moral and management
concerns
negative employee morale
low performance

7. Potentially Hazardous
Conditions
•Managers must train employees to
recognize potentially hazardous conditions
and take corrective actions before they
cause injuries like sprains, strains, falls;
wet floors and slippery walkways
messy floors
equipment left out in the way
improper lifting techniques

8. Three Rules
•Accidents and injuries do not have to
occur. By following three simple rules,
employees can contribute to a safe,
accident-free work environment:
1.Take adequate time
2.Correct unsafe conditions immediately
3.Do it safely the first time

9. Safety Tips
for potentially hazardous conditions in the HK

10. 1) LIFTING
Housekeeping tasks often involve lifting heavy objects.
Employees may also be required to move furniture in
order to complete a thorough cleaning task.
Incorrectly lifting heavy objects such as bags, boxes, and
containers may result in strained or pulled muscles and
back injury. In turn, these injuries can result in loss of
work and long-term pain and suffering.
Employees can also incur cuts and scratches when lifting
items such as trash or dirty linens which contain pointy
objects or broken glasses. In all instances, employees
should know what conditions to look for and the special
precautions to take.

11. Some guidelines for safe moving and lifting:
•Inspect the object before lifting. Do not lift any item that you cannot get your
arms around or that you cannot see over when carrying. Get help if it is too
heavy.
•Keep the back and head of your body straight. Because the back muscles are
generally weaker than the leg muscles, do not use the back muscle to lift the
object.
•Keep the object close to the body. Avoid twisting your body.
•When tucking in sheets, picking up a laundry or cleaning a tub, bend with the
knee and not on the back, nor on the waist to prevent back injury.
•Wear the right shoes. Working shoes should be slip resistant, with a closed toe
and fit to give you the best comfort.
•Turn on lights and look all sides before entering any room. There may be spills or
broken glasses on the floor that need to be cleared.
•If a broken glass is found, sweep the floor and place the glass in a container
separate from the trash.
•To push the room attendant’s cart easily, check if it has sticking wheels. Without
it, it will be harder to push and could injure the user. Remove sticking thread on
the wheels.

13. 2) LADDERS
When selecting a ladder, inspect its condition,
height and footing.
do not use broken or defective ladder
do not use aluminum or metal ladder when
working near or on electrical equipment
use rubber footing on tile floors and in kitchen
floor must be dry and clean
should be high enough
never stand on the top step
never place a ladder against a window or uneven
surfaces
should be well-balanced
when climbing, face the ladder and have clean and dry
hands and feet
mark the area underneath the ladder with caution signs

14. 3) MACHINERY
Employees should be authorized and trained in the use of machinery
and equipment before operating such devices. Most equipment,
machineries, and power tools come with instructions.
Some employees may need additional training and supervised
practice before operating equipment and machinery on the job by
themselves.
Many power tools and other machineries are equipped with protective
guards or shields. These safety guards should never be removed.
Employees may also be required to wear protective eye goggles or
gloves. All protective gear should be worn per instructions.
Equipment and machineries should never be left unattended while in
use.
When not in use, all tools and equipment should be turned off and
stored in the proper place. Never use a piece of equipment or
machinery that is not operating correctly.

15. 4) ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
•Extra care must be taken when operating electrical equipment. Even
one of the most common housekeeping appliances like a vacuum
cleaner can be harmful or deadly if operated improperly or in unsafe
conditions.
never operate electrical equipment with wet hands or cloths
do not operate near flammable liquids, chemicals or vapors
turn off them when sparks, smokes or flames are seen
check the wires and connections periodically
never unplug them by pulling the cord
keep the cords out off traffic areas
when cleaning guestrooms, room attendants should check
for frayed wires, loose connections, loose plugs, broken
switches

16. 5) CHEMICALS
Many housekeeping employees are exposed to
dangerous chemicals in their daily work routines.
These chemicals are powerful cleaners, and, when used
properly with proper protective gear, are relatively
harmless. However, when used improperly, these same
helpful chemicals can cause nausea, vomiting, skin
rashes, cancer, blindness, and even death.
Chemicals are used to clean all areas of a lodging
property including bathrooms, kitchens and floors.
Potentially hazardous chemicals are also used to kill
insects and rodents.

17. Handling Chemicals Safely:
•Wear personal protective equipment like goggles and hand gloves
for protection from spills and splashes.
•To use the chemical correctly, follow the direction of the label.
•Use only one chemical for its intended purpose.
•Cap of bottles/ containers should be tight and the broken nozzles
must be replaced to prevent drips.
•Use the right amount of chemicals. Excessive amount may damage
surfaces.
•If your skin or eyes are exposed and contaminated by a spill, rinse it
with a clean water and get immediate medical assistance.

18. Job Safety Analysis
•Detailed report that lists every job function
performed by all employees in a housekeeping
department with safety tips and potential
hazards being cited. The analysis should be
produced in booklet form and used in training.
Housekeeping managers should demonstrate
and explain each task when training.

19. Safety Training
1.Begins the first day of the job with an
orientation about safety rules and regulations.
2.Should include the presentation of the hotel’s
safety philosophy during orientation.
3.Does not end at orientation. Every employee
should participate in an ongoing safety
education program at least once a month.

20. Security
•is the task of protecting both people and assets by;
guestroom security
key control
perimeter control
emergency procedures
lighting
security records
•whether the property requires a large security staff or
one or several on-premises supervisory personnel, the
security role must be clearly defined and implemented.

21. Security Committees:
Security committee should consist of key
management personnel – including
departmental heads. Supervisors and
selected hourly employees can also
contribute important security information
and add to the committee’s effectiveness.

22. Committee Responsibilities:
Development of security handbook and the
design of training and awareness programs.
Monitoring, analyzing, and suggesting solutions
for returning security problems.
Maintaining records on such incidents as theft,
vandalism, and on-site violence.
Conducting spot security audits and property
inspections.
Investigating security incidents.
Maintain open lines of communication with the
local police department.

23. Security Issues

24. 1) Suspicious Activities;
•The individuals allowed in guestroom areas are; guests, their
visitors, and on-duty employees
•Establish a policy on how to approach and handle unauthorized or
undesirable people. Suspicious people are those; checking doors,
knocking on doors, or looking nervous.
•Approach the person looking suspicious politely. If the person
claims to be a guest, ask for the room key. If the person says that
he is not a guest, then explain the hotel policy and direct the guest
to the front desk.
•Employees who are not in their designated area should be asked if
they need help. Depending on the person’s response and manner,
report to security.
•Friends and relatives of employees should not be allowed in
guestroom areas or employee locker rooms.

25. 2) Theft;
(a) Guest Theft can be reduced by;
•using fewer items with logos reduces temptation to steal
•keeping storage rooms closed and locked
•fixing or bolting guestroom items and fixtures to
appropriate surfaces
•when cleaning, notifying the front desk or security for
any missing items
•securing all first floor windows and sliding glass doors

26. (b) Employee Theft can be reduced by;
•acting as a good example as managers
•writing down the consequences of stealing in the
employee handbook and implementing them for
everyone without discriminating
•screening applicants (background check) before
making a job offer
•having good inventory control procedures, taking
physical inventory every month
•keeping records of stolen or missing items

27. •keeping all storeroom doors
locked and changing the locks
periodically
•designating employee entrances
and exits with security staff
•establishing claim-checking and
parcel-pass systems
•restricting employee parking
•in large hotels, using identification
badges to prevent strangers

28. 3) Bomb Treats
•As housekeeping, helping in the search for any
suspicious objects that could be bombs. Searches often
include stairways, closets, ashtrays, trash containers,
elevators, exit areas, window sills
•if a suspicious looking object is found, it should not be
touched or moved, notify the person in charge of the
search team
•avoid using radios, walkie-talkies, or beepers
•the safety and security manual should include
evacuation plans
•the local police should be notified of all bomb threats

29. 4) Fires
•Grouped into four - Class A, wood and paper products;
Class B, flammable liquid, grease and gasoline; Class C,
electrical, Class D, combustible metals. In the lodging
industry, electrical malfunction and arson are the two
most common causes of fire.
•installing fire detection systems – smoke detectors,
suppression systems (sprinklers), alarms (pull stations)
•fire safety training - in evacuating the building, reporting
fire, emergency escape procedures and duties, escaping
from a smoke-filled room, putting out a small fire (fire
extinguishers, type ABC)
•using fire-resistant fabrics and materials

30. Key Control
•Proper key control procedures are
important for guest security and privacy.
Key control also protects the property by
reducing the possibility of guest and
property theft.

31. Housekeeping is primarily concerned with
four categories of keys:
•Emergency key
•Master key
•Storeroom key
•Guestroom key

32. Emergency keys
•open all doors in the property – even those that guests
have double locked. These keys should be kept in a
secure place. Some properties also keep an
emergency key off the premises. Distribution and use
should occur only in emergency situations such as a
fire or when a guest or employee is locked in a room
and needs immediate assistance. Most housekeeping
personnel do not use emergency keys on a day-to-day
basis.

33. Master key
•also open more than one guestroom. Master
keys are separated into three levels of access.
The highest level is the grand master. This
key opens every hotel room and, many times,
all housekeeping storage rooms. Master keys
can be used in emergency situations when it is
vital for an employee to enter some or all areas
of a hotel. Master keys are kept at the front
desk for such emergency purposes.

34. •The next level of master key is the section
master. This type of master key opens rooms in
one area of a hotel. An inspector may be issued
more that one key of this type because he/she
may be required to inspect the work of more than
one room attendant.
•The lowest level of master key is the floor key.
Generally, a room attendant is given this key to
open the rooms he/she is assigned to clean. If
the employee has rooms to clean on more than
one floor or area, he/she may need more than
one floor key. Floor keys typically open the
storeroom for that floo.

35. Guestroom key
•are those keys distributed to guests. This
type of key opens a single guestroom
and, in some cases, other locked areas
such as the pool. Guestroom keys are
stored at the front desk when not in use.

36. Key Control Procedures:
•A log can be used to monitor the distribution of master
keys. This log should include the date, time and the
name of the person who signed for a particular key.
Every time an employee receives or returns a master
key, he/she should be required to initial or sign the log.
•Employees issued keys should keep the keys on their
person at all times. Key belts, wrist bands, or neck chains
are recommended devices for keeping track of master
keys.

37. •Master keys should never be left on top of a
housekeeping cart, in a guestroom or in an
unsecured area.
•An employee should never loan the key to a
guest or to another employee.
•Finally, a room attendant should never use a
master key to open a room for a guest. If a
guest asks an employee to unlock a room, the
employee should politely explain the hotel’s
policy and direct the guest to the front desk.

38. Lost and Found:
•Many times, the housekeeping department handles the lost and
found function. Lost and found items should be stored in an area that
is secure and has limited access.
•In large hotels, the linen room clerk may handle the lost and found
procedures. In smaller properties, the task may be delegated to the
executive housekeeper or front desk personnel. When an employee
finds an item left behind by a guest, he/ she should immediately turn
it over to the lost and found.
•Items should be tagged, logged, and secured after they have been
turned over to the lost and found. Tags may be numbered or used to
identify the item. A log should be used to record the date, time,
where the item was found, and by whom.
•All lost ad found property should be kept for at least 90 days. If items
are not claimed after 90 days, it is up to the management to decide
how to dispose of the items properly. Many hotels donate unclaimed
lost and found items to local charities.

39. Guestroom Cleaning:
Room attendants should;
•not open guest luggage or packages
•be careful when removing linens, dusting the top of closets and under
lamps, since guests sometimes hide valuable belongings
•immediately notify the HK, Security or FO; if any of the following items
are noticed;
guns/weapons, drugs, cooking/unsafe electrical appliances,
foul odors, pets, ill guests, large amounts of cash or valuable
jewelry
•keep the door open and the cart rolled in front of the entrance to block
access from outside, when cleaning guestrooms
•never leave a room unattended with the door open
•after cleaning the room, check all windows and sliding doors whether
they are locked, check the guestroom as well to see that it is locked