The hospitality industry is a complex and ever-changing field. Employees in this industry face many dangers on the job, from slips and fall accidents to assaults and robberies. By taking the following steps, management can provide their employees with a safe place to work.
1. Hold Regular Employee Safety Training
One of the most important things management can do to keep their employees safe is to hold regular employee safety training sessions. In your training sessions, aim to cover a breadth of topics.
Relevant topics may include how to prevent accidents, what to do in an emergency and how to report harassment or assault. Employees should feel comfortable asking questions and raising concerns during these sessions.
Employees should be required to attend safety training as a condition of their initial employment. Safety training refreshers should be offered to current and new staff regularly throughout the year to update new policies and keep protocols top-of-mind.
2. Implement Modern Technologies
Technology can play a significant role in keeping hospitality industry employees safe. High-tech security systems can help to deter crime and protect employees and guests.
Management should take advantage of the latest safety technologies to create a safe environment for their employees. Doing so can help prevent accidents and injuries and give employees peace of mind knowing that they're working in a safe place.
But the technologies alone aren't enough. Your hotel needs to establish a well-trained security team to constantly monitor your surveillance systems for them to be effective. With someone keeping tabs on the hotel security, they can quickly identify and address threats or hazards.
3. Provide Panic Buttons
In an emergency, every hospitality industry employee should have easy access to a panic button. Employees can wear panic buttons as a pendant or clipped to a belt, or they can be placed in strategic locations throughout the property.
When pressed, hotel panic buttons send an immediate alert to security or law enforcement personnel. They're helpful in case of an assault, robbery or other serious incidents.
Geo-location-based panic buttons utilize sensor technology to provide an accurate location of the employee in need of assistance. Knowing the exact location of the button the employee pressed can be helpful if they're lost or injured in a remote area of the property.
4. Create Systems for Reporting Incidents
It's important for hospitality industry employees to feel comfortable reporting incidents, regardless of how small they may seem. By creating a system for reporting incidents, management can ensure that all employees feel safe coming forward with any concerns.
All incidents should be addressed promptly by management. Employees should be updated on the status of their reports and feel confident that their concerns are being taken seriously by their management team.
When someone reports an incident, always take appropriate steps to prevent it from happening again. Identify what caused it, what went wrong, and how you can solve the issue in the future. Your corrective action may include additional training for employees, changes to policies and procedures or the implementation of new technologies.
And remember, these systems are only effective if they're used. Failing to report an incident can put other employees at risk and establish a more lax culture around safety issues at work.
5. Hold Safety Drills
While no one wants to think about what could go wrong, it's important to be prepared for emergencies. That's why management should hold regular safety drills so employees know what to do in the event of an accident or attack.
Safety drills should be conducted at least once a year, and more often if possible. They should cover a variety of scenarios, such as fires, earthquakes, emergency evacuations and active shooter situations.
Employees should be familiar with the property's evacuation routes and should know where to go in the event of an emergency. They should also know how to use any available safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and first aid kits, and know how to direct guests to safety.
After each drill, management should debrief the employees and discuss any areas that need improvement. Regular debriefs will ensure everyone is on the same page and knows what to do in the event of an emergency.
6. Always Check IDs
In the hospitality industry, it's important for management to always check the IDs of employees and guests. This helps to ensure that only authorized people are on the property and can help to prevent crime.
When checking IDs, management should be sure to verify that the ID is valid and that the person matches the photo on the ID. The ID should also match the name registered to the room or the employee wearing the badge. If there are any discrepancies, management should take appropriate action to resolve them or notify the police if someone discovers a threat, especially since human traffickers often take advantage of the privacy of hotels.
IDs can also be used to track employee hours and access to certain areas of the property. Knowing who was where and when can be helpful in the event of an incident or accident.
7. Reduce Common Injuries
Some injuries are more common in the hospitality industry than others. These include slips and falls, back injuries, and cuts and burns.
Management can help to reduce the risk of these occupational injuries by implementing safety protocols and procedures. Some general safety tips to instill among staff, especially cleaning staff, include:
- Wearing comfortable, nonslip shoes to prevent falls
- Always carry weight near the core when moving heavy objects or pushing carts
- Alternate arms when doing repetitive tasks such as wiping or cleaning to reduce muscle strain
- Be careful when lifting heavy items
- Always check for floor hazards, especially in guestrooms
Top Priority: Keeping Staff Safe
In the hospitality industry, it is essential to keep employees safe. There are a variety of ways in which management can help to ensure employee safety, from providing training and holding safety drills to equipping employees with panic buttons and a system that supports the reporting of incidents. Using the modern tools available today paired with effective systems and processes, you can keep your staff happy and safe at work.
Yasmine Mustafa is the CEO and co-founder of Roar for Good.