Housekeeping Case Study

Housekeeping

The housekeeping is one of the largest occupational groups in the hotel sector which employs around 1.8 million workers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013; Wial & Rickert, 2002). Various reports have shown that hotel housekeepers and laundry workers face numerous types of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (Buchanan, 2010; Krause, Scherzer, & Rugulies, 2005). The workload of the hotel housekeepers results in a high rate of injury and illness. The workload includes various activities such as changing bed sheets and towels, cleaning toilets, bathtubs, making beds and to empty waste baskets (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Hotel housekeepers are not only exposed to physical hazards but also to chemical, biological and psychological

This shows the negligence of the hotel management, who is not abiding by the Occupational Safety and Health policies. This irresponsibility act on the part of the management has to some extent contributed to the increase in the rate of accidents in the hotel industry. They have failed to comply with the policies.

These accidents can be due to lack of various factors which can increase the risk of injury in the working environment. These include: poor kitchen layout; limited space that is there is no ease of movement which results in collision with employees and equipments; overcrowded or insufficient working areas; staff in the kitchen uses equipments like knives and other sharp hand tools, so the staff must have adequate space to work safely without the risk of stabbing themselves by accident; other employee might find difficulty in moving trolleys and to carry trays

Poorly maintained equipments; poor ventilation; slippery or uneven floor surfaces and inadequate lighting that reduce handling and cleaning of equipment and products. All these issues must be taken into consideration so as to be able to provide a safe working environment for the employees.

The hotel workers are exposed to numerous hazards as they are engaged in several types of work. The employees can be affected by different health hazards like noise, physical, stress, chemicals and injuries. They even have the risks of accidents like electrocution, fire, slips, trips, cuts, occupational accidents and diseases. This can lead to disastrous consequences like absenteeism; disability; sickness and even death.

The employer has a legal and moral duty to take care of his employees as far as possible to ensure the safety of the workers, which is that they are not injured or affected by the activities of work they perform.

Occupational Safety and Health