Module IX.

Safety and Security

Spiritual Values
Courage & Gentleness

• Describe and perform general housekeeping procedures incorporating Occupational

Health and Services and Wellness (OHS & W)

• Explain and demonstrated on how to service guestrooms incorporating OHS & W

practices in all aspects.

• Describe and explain the different classification of fire and fire extinguishers

• Enumerate and discuss the functions of housekeeping in the maintenance of safety

and security in hotel organizations

• Increased awareness on Safety and Security measures implemented in the

housekeeping areas

• Describe the procedure of key control.

 MODULE OUTLINE
• General Safety and Security Measures
• Basic Fire Prevention
• Safety and Security Risks for Guests
• Safety Risks for Housekeeping Employees
• Key Control
 Security and Safety
• Safety - It refers to keeping a place safe from accidents
 maintaining tidiness leads to a safe place to work
 providing freedom from hazardous injuries, wounds
 keeping property away from damage.

• Security - refers to the protection of employees’ lives from

fatal emergency situations
 like fire accidents
 Slip
 fall accidents
Note: fatal accident happens because of small unseen mistakes.
 Two Departments Highly Affected
• Maintenance department
• Housekeeping departments
large number of people working in that department
they involved in physical activity
machines which sometimes may lead to harm -
improper working or any technical issue)
equipment which increases the risk of injuries.
Causes of accidents that happen in Workplaces
• Improper electricity - electrocution
 Poor lighting and improper electricity - interrupting work
 wiring of electricity - can be the reason for short circuits, electric shocks,
and more
• Keeping Hazardous Materials in the wrong place
 Keeping and handling hazardous materials
 Even not wearing PPE

In the workplace, every material should be placed as per their safety data sheet
for avoiding accidental situations.
 Causes of accidents that happen in Workplaces
continued…
• Cuts from broken glass in linen bundles and garbage
• Back Pains from improper working postures
• Breathing problems and burns from the use of hazardous
chemicals and detergents - Exposure to these chemicals
cause nausea, allergy, burns, vomiting, breathing
problems, skin rashes etc.
• Injuries due to improper work habits
• Working at height
 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
 Causes of accidents that happen in Workplaces
continued…
• Trips and Falls
 Any slippery thing on floors
 high-traffic corridors can cause slip and fall accidents.
• Miserable mental health
Healthy and positive mindset = Overall organizational growth
and more productivity.
Stress puts humans in every imaginable situation which leads to
unconsciousness by affecting their social, psychological, and
emotional states.
 encourage teams by building positive relations
 gives small breaks in between works
 keeping the place clean
 giving compliments for great works
 Housekeepers Responsibilities towards safety
are:
• Prepare a safety manual - read and understood of new
employees.
• Paste safety rules on walls at strategic points in the work
area.
• Reinforce safety rules in daily briefings.
• Organize continuous safety training. Involve experts like
the equipment manufacturers, Engineering to take classes
on fire safety etc.
• Have a Preventive maintenance programmed for all
equipment.
• Include safety inspection in the supervisor’s checklist.
 Housekeepers Responsibilities towards safety
continued…
• Ensure that toxic chemicals are stored in closed
cupboards and properly labeled.
• Ensure that all waste disposal containers are leak proof
and maintained in sanitary conditions.
• Make sure that locker rooms have proper washing and
shower facilities. Locker rooms must be kept clean and
dry at all times. Water closets must be sanitized
frequently.
• Ensure that housekeeping employees consume food and
beverage in the staff canteens and not in public areas.
 Housekeepers Responsibilities towards safety
continued…
• Ensure rest breaks for employees during their shift vigil.
• Keep appropriate signs like “Wet Floor”; “Engineering at
Work”, labels for detergents and toxic material, safety
instructions on equipment, “
• Not to stack anything in the corridors.
• Fire exit staircase should always be clear, not to stack
items which will obstruct the movement.
• Ensure hot and cold indicators on the tap faucets.
• In the rooms and corridor’s few lights should be
connected to UPS.
 Housekeepers Responsibilities towards safety
continued…
• Swimming pool pH and chlorine levels to be maintained.
• Pool area no diving signage to be painted.
• Bed corner to be covered.
• Non - smoking zone signage.
• Safety shoes for Engineering and Kitchen and Gum boots
for Kitchen Stewarding.
• Smoke detectors indicator light to blink at all the times.
 How to reduce safety risks
• The particular housekeeper or a professional cleaner
must pay attention to even small things while cleaning and
maintaining.
• Be familiar with a safety training program.
• Develop procedures to prevent fatal accidents.
• Be aware of everyday rules which lead to regulating the
workplace in a secure and safe manner.
 Effective ways for Security and Safety in
Housekeeping
• Admin or Facility Managers should examine every step
while housekeepers working, cleaning, and maintaining
commercial places for checking security and safety by their
end.
• Reviewing it can also help in reducing some steps from the
overall task by applying strategies in it and it may lead to
task completion in an easier and time-saving way.
• Identifying risky situations can also help in building safety
rules for preventing accidents.
 Risky hazards can happen because of lifting heavy objects,
warehouse or electric things respiration, chemical exposure, trip and
fall accidents as many more.
 Working alone can become risky so it is recommended that if you’re
working in commercial places then you should take help
 Effective ways for Security and Safety in Housekeeping
continued…
• Determination of which task needs which PPE(Personal Protective
Equipment ) - preventing and securing employees from injuries.

• Wear gripped footwear - commercial places, organizations, and offices often

get cleaned and especially while mopping floors can be slippery which leads
to slip and fall accidents but in case of that gripped footwear can avoid it.

• While cleaning is performed - warning sign should always be there to alert

other and removed after work completion

• Sanitization product, disinfection chemicals, detergents and all products

used in cleaning sometimes leads to allergies, infections in employees
 make sure that only Eco- Friendly products are used - not harmful to employee and
nature

• Garbage classification - dry garbage, wet garbage, chemical hazards, and

biohazards
 Occupational Hazard
• Walking • Stretching
• Standing • Twisting
• Stooping • Crouching
• Squatting • Lifting
• Kneeling • Pushing
 Reducing the Physical Stress
How to reduce the physical stress on housekeeping
personnel with the following suggestions:

• Lighter equipment can reduce work.

• Modern Detergents help in cleaning with a swipe that may
eliminate tedious scrubbing.
• Job Rotation
• Team Work.
• Education and Training in safe work practices must be
part of ongoing agenda.
 First Aid
First Aid - is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or
serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from
worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive.

The cupboard should contain the following items:

• Clinical thermometer
• Cotton wool
• Bandage roll
• Band aids
• Sterilized gauze
• Rubber sheeting
• Tincture iodine
• Disinfection and as an antiseptic
• Burn-oil
• Aspirins
• Mercurochrome
• Antiseptic cream
 SECURITY IN HOUSEKEEPING
The main security concerns are:

• Lost and Found

• Guest Theft

• Employee theft

• Bomb Scare.
 Guest Theft -
Guest takes hotel items as souvenirs
Housekeeping personnel take the following precaution:
• Key Control: Limited access to guest rooms.
• Suspicious Movements: Housekeeping personnel are
trained to observe suspicious movements and report to
security.
• Departure Procedure: Train bellboys to give a quick
glance at the room and bathroom before they remove
guest baggage.
 Housekeeping personnel take the following
precaution continued…

• Standard Issues to Guest rooms: The ability to detect

missing items is made possible by equipping rooms with
standard number of items.
• Entry/Exit point: A guest room has only one entry/exit
door. Windows are secure. Room doors are provided with
peepholes.
 Employee Theft
A hotel reduces pilferage by adopting the following precaution.

• Gate Pass: Required employee to posses a gate pass when hotel

property is removed from the hotel.
• Spot Check: Security personnel conduct spot checks, of employee’s
handbags at random to ensure that unauthorized items are not being
taken out of the hotel. Staff lockers are checked periodically. Uniforms
are not permitted outside the property.
• Limited Access: Employees have limited access to areas of the hotel.
• Par Stocks: Room attendants have par stocks of items on their maid
cart that have to be accounted for.
• Bomb Threats: Terrorism is a concern for all public buildings. Hotels are
prime targets. Housekeeping personnel are trained to report on
suspicious objects, drugs, and excess money lying in the room, arms
and bomb like structures to the security.
If suspicious object is found:
• Do not touch or open it
• Report to the security office
• Security office will coordinate with the bomb experts
 Safety Rules
• Secure all the entrances with a full time security
guard.
• Provide roving guard to monitor movements
within the hotel premises
• Report suspicious looking persons and objects to
the security officer or duty manager immediately.
 Fire Safety
• The following are the five components of a fire risk
assessment that must be considered.
• Identifying Fire Hazards. ...
• Identifying People at Risk. ...
• Evaluate, Remove or Reduce the Risks. ...
• Record Your Findings, Prepare an Emergency Plan and Provide
Training. ...
• Review and Update the Fire Risk Assessment Regularly.
Description of the classes of
Fires and Fire Extinguishers
1. Class A Fires: include wood,
paper, cloth, cardboard, plastics.
Ex. Fire in a trash can
> Fire that catches drapes or table
cloth
2. Class B: include grease, oil,
flammable liquids
26
Ex. Fire in a deep fryer
3. Class C Fires: include electrical
equipment, motors, and switches
Ex. Fire in a toaster
> Fire in a motor of a grinder

Classes of Fire Extinguishers

1. Class A: Used on Class A fires only.
Ex. Water (stored pressure)
> Water pump tank
> Multipurpose dry chemical
27
> Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)
2. Class AB: Used on Class A
and B fires only
Ex. Aqueous film-forming
foam (AFFF)
* Not recommended for deep
fryer fires
28
 References
• https://arisefacilitysolutions.in/security-and-safety-in-
housekeeping/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/safety-security-measures-
housekeeping-author-trainer
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFhqkOdR5M4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2AHhJ267AE
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnay3eOksZA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTV0J8GlB7c
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ycSUMHqcE