INTRODUCTION

A hotel has invited guests and visitors (and employees and contractors) onto its premises, therefore, has a duty to take reasonable care to protect them from loss and injury. The hotel has specific obligations to ensure that the premises are safe, and that people entering those premises receive the protection (for themselves and their belongings) that they are entitled to expect as part of their contract. Legal obligations aside, safety and security are key issues for any hospitality establishment to:-

1. Protect people from harm, loss, fear or distress.
2. Protect the property and assets of the hotel.
3. Protect the reputation of the hotel: maintaining guest satisfaction, goodwill and positive recommendation to others – or avoiding complaints and bad publicity and word-of-mouth about an hotel’s lack of hygiene, safety or security.
4. Avoid the costs of accidents, fire, theft, fraud, law suits, compensation claims and other consequences of poor safety and security.
5. Comply with the relevant law on health and safety, duty of care, hospitality, data protection and so on – and avoid the penalties for non-compliance (e.g. fines or closures).

Though, each lodging property is different and has different security needs, however, providing security in a hotel is the broad task of protecting people, be it the guests, employees, and others and assets. A hotel’s safety and security may include in-house security personnel and contracted security officers. Hotels generally prefer ex- army or ex- police officials as their security officers because they are already well-versed with various security aspects and have a lot of experience in the field.

GENERAL DIMENSIONS OF SAFETY AND SECURITY

There are some basic types of threat you need to be concerned about, as a member of front office staff:-

1. Threats to the health, safety, comfort and well-being of guests: your number one priority
   • Fire emergencies
   • Accidents (due to inadequate maintenance, lighting, signage etc)
   • Terrorist emergencies (e.g. bomb threats)
   • Poor hygiene (particularly in food handling)
   • Threats to guest privacy (e.g. via intrusion into rooms, press exposure, breach of confidentiality)
   • Threats to guest enjoyment (e.g. as a result of noisy or disruptive behaviour by other guests)
   • Threats to the property of guests while in the hotel
   • Theft, pick-pocketing or mugging
   • Confidence tricksters/fraud
   • Accidental or malicious damage to property
   • Loss of luggage or property left for safekeeping
2. Threats to the premises, fixtures and fittings, financial assets or reputation of the hotel
   • Damage to furniture, fixtures and fittings (other than by normal wear and tear)
   • Theft of equipment, fixtures and fittings or cash
   • Guests leaving without paying
   • Fraud (by guests or staff)
   • Immoral or illegal behaviour (e.g. drug dealing or prostitution) carried out on the premises
3. Threats to the health, safety and well-being of the hotel’s staff (i.e. ‘health and safety at work’).
   • Fire emergencies
   • Accidents
   • Terrorist emergencies
   • Poor work environment, systems or practices (leading to illness, injury or stress)
   • Abusive behaviour by guests (or fellow staff)
   • Robbery or attack (especially for night staff)

HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF HOTELS

As we have just seen, hotels can be surprisingly hazardous environments. As the communications hub of the hotel, both for staff and guests, the front office will naturally be the place where:-

• Potential risks are reported (e.g. if a guest or member of staff discover faulty wiring or an area of wet floor)
• Actual accidents or cases of ill-health are reported
• Assistance is requested (e.g. if a guest or member of staff requires first aid or the calling of a doctor or ambulance)
• People look for guidance in case of emergency.

EVERYDAY HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS IN HOTELS

Staff may be going effectively about their duties, and guests may be going effectively about their own activities (whether they are in the hotel for business or pleasure) but it is easy to be unaware of potential hazards as you move about a familiar area and even more so, about an un-familiar area. Hotel staffs, however, are in a better position to identify potential hazards, and they also have a duty of care to guests: either to eliminate the risks or to inform guests about them before accidents happen. The following are just a few of the hazards that may be present for guests (and staff) in a hotel setting.

• Tripping hazards such as poorly maintained carpet; trailing wires from electrical appliances; luggage and other items left in hallways or gangways; unmarked steps up or down (especially in poorly lit areas)
• Wet patches on bathroom or other slippery floor surfaces
• Steep stairs (particularly if poorly lit, or with insecure banisters
• Poorly maintained electrical appliances, power sockets or adaptors (creating risk of electrical shock or fire)
• Glass doors and windows (requiring some form of warning or markings to avoid people walking into them)
• Poorly organised storage areas (with the risk of heavy objects falling onto people, or making people stand on chairs to reach them)
• Poorly stored or labelled chemicals and other substances (e.g. cleaning fluids)
• Un-emptied litter bins (creating a fire and/or hygiene hazard)
• Blocked or locked escape/emergency routes, inaccessible emergency equipment (like fire extinguishers), or poorly maintained smoke/fire alarms
• Irresponsible or careless behaviour (such as horseplay or running in confined spaces, diving into an unknown swimming pool, carrying overloaded trays of hot liquids)
• Smoking (even in authorised areas) around flammable substances or materials
• Everyday risks such as scalding (from in-room coffee/tea making facilities), cuts (from using scissors or bottle openers), bruises (from banging into table corners in unfamiliar rooms) and so on
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs – making any of the above hazards worse!

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT SUCH THINGS?

1. Awareness and vigilance: Front office staff should look out for hazards and take note of any reports or comments by guests or other staff that might indicate a potential problem.
2. Removal of hazards, where possible: If you notice a problem that you can put right yourself (e.g. moving obstructions from a gangway, or closing an open filing cabinet), do so.
3. Warnings: If a hazard cannot immediately be dealt with, issue a warning. This may mean placing a ‘Warning: wet surface’ sign over a spillage, or placing an ‘out of order’ notice on a piece of equipment. You will find a range of warnings signs in hotels: from safety instructions on equipment, to ‘no smoking’ signs, to rules about swimming pool safety.
4. Reporting: Hazards that need authorisation or special skills to deal with should be notified to the appropriate person (e.g. the duty manager, housekeeping or maintenance staff) as soon as possible.
5. Supervision, training and discipline: Safety procedures are designed for everyone’s protection, and failure to follow them is a serious issue. If you see a fellow member of staff breaking safety rules, you will need to deal with the matter: first, perhaps, by having a quiet word with the person concerned, and then, if necessary, by informing someone in authority. It may be unpleasant to be the ‘whistleblower’, but safety is your responsibility. Similarly, a guest breaking safety rules (e.g. by smoking in no-smoking areas or behaving in a boisterous fashion) should be approached politely, and tactfully ‘reminded’ of the rules, if a guest refuses to comply, the matter may be referred to the duty manager for further handling.

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK

In addition to thinking about the safety of guests, every country has laws and regulations setting certain minimum standards for the protection of health and safety of employees in their workplace. In the TZ, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the main piece of legislation setting out the responsibilities of employers and their employees.

Responsibilities of employers

• To provide safe systems (work practices)
• To provide a safe and healthy work environment (well-lit, warm, ventilated, hygienic and so on)
• To maintain all machinery and equipment to a necessary standard of safety
• To support safe working practices with information, instruction, training and supervision
• To consult with staff safety representatives on issues of concern to staff
• To communicate safety policy and measures to all staff, clearly and in writing

Responsibilities of employees  

• To take reasonable care of themselves and  others affected by their acts or omissions at work
• To co-operate with the employer in carrying  out their responsibilities (e.g. by obeying all safety rules)
• Not to interfere intentionally or recklessly with any machinery or equipment provided in the interests of health and safety (e.g. not switching off smoke alarms)

Health and safety is thus a shared responsibility of management and staff. As the Act requires, hotels should have their own health and safety policies, clearly posted on the staff notice board, in office manuals and so on. There should also be a person specially designated to promote health and safety measures and compliance with regulations. If you work in a hotel environment, you need to make sure you familiarize yourself with the relevant policies, and know who your health and safety officer or representative is. Different departments of the hotel will be subject to different types of health and safety risks as follows:-

• Housekeeping staff may face risks from the storage and handling of cleaning chemicals which may be dangerous if misused. Such matters are covered by separate provisions in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations. Front Office should have on file a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) with information on the storage and handling of all chemicals, and what to do in case of emergency.
• Maintenance staff may be at risk when using tools or dealing with electrical wiring
• Porters may be at risk of back injury through heavy lifting (and poor lifting technique).
• Any staff may be at risk of falls, slips and trips; misuse of equipment; and so on.
• Department heads may be asked to carry out risks assessments to identify the main risks in their own areas of activity. Staffs also have a duty under the regulations to inform their employer of any situation which they think may pose a danger.

NOTE: Health and safety is vital in a hotel. Everyone must be willing, aware and involved – from wiping up a spill to picking up a piece of rubbish – or, when it’s raining outside, putting ‘Slippery When Wet’ signs out on the floor. The most common accidents we encounter are from slips, trips and falls; manual handling (heavy lifting); and misuse of dangerous substances and these can affect both guests and staff.