How to Set Employee Health and Safety Standards in a Hotel

The hotel industry is understandably focused on the health, safety, and happiness of guests. But employee health and safety can be just as important. Some hospitality companies like Accor have been ahead of the curve in this area, allowing other hotels to model their safety politics after any Accor hotel. The key is creating standards and regulations for employee safety that can be tracked and monitored. Let’s take a closer look at some of the best protocols and practices for employee health and safety in the hotel industry. 

Start with Safety Training 

Even in hotels, safety training should be a requirement. Many hospitality companies make the mistake of only giving safety training to new employees. The best way to keep employees safe and healthy is to make safety training a regular occurrence. With regular training sessions, employees can be reminded of important safety protocols and measures while also helping to answer any safety-related questions employees might have. 

Anticipate Common Hazards 

Part of safety training should be teaching employees to anticipate common health and safety hazards that they are likely to face in a hotel setting. By simply being aware of common issues, it becomes much easier to mitigate risks. This can be as simple as wearing comfortable and non-slip footwear or teaching employees to lift heavy objects the right way. Simple slips and falls and muscle injuries are common among hotel workers. Employees should also be instructed to show caution when working in guest rooms and other unfamiliar settings. 

Evacuation Drills 

Just like any other work setting, conducting fire drills or other evacuation drills is typically a good idea. It may not be easy to schedule them at a time when all employees can take a few minutes, but they should be done one way or another. If an alarm goes off or there is an emergency, employees need to know how to exit the hotel and help guests do the same. The more frequently these drills are conducted, the smoother things will go in case there is ever a real emergency. 

Employee Safety Buttons 

Speaking of emergencies, it’s usually a good idea to provide employees with safety buttons, sometimes referred to as panic buttons. This allows employees to quickly alert others if they get into trouble or need help. If there is an injury or an employee starts to fear for their safety, a panic button can help to get them assistance as quickly as possible. 

Report Everything 

One of the tricks of hotel safety is making sure that every incident gets reported. Don’t just wait for something serious to happen. Encourage employees to report any incident or concern related to health and safety. This can help to resolve minor issues because they become a serious problem while also making employees feel safer. This is another reason why frequent safety meetings are useful. It provides a setting for employees to express concerns and have issues resolved as soon as possible. 

CCTV 

If there are any serious safety concerns at a hotel, closed-circuit televisions are usually a good tool to use. These can help to monitor public areas and document any occurrence in which someone’s health or safety is threatened. If something happens, it’ll be easier to diagnose the problem while also helping employees feel safer. 

Find a Proven Safety System 

The best thing for any hotel to do in the name of employee safety is to utilize a proven safety system. The software solutions from EHS Insight can do exactly that. Our software is a proven method of improving workplace safety in a variety of industries by making sure every element of occupational safety can be monitored on a single platform, streamlining the entire process.