Essential health and safety tips to adhere to in the hotelier industry
If you work in the hospitality industry it's essential to keep paying guests, visitors and employees free from harm. Basic rules and regulations combined with tight management and common sense go a long way, so here are five essential health and safety tips to ensure you are adhering to.
Think about food safety
When it comes to food safety, there's no excuse for cutting corners. Your local council could inspect you at any time, so always make sure your kitchen and staff are in tip-top shape. Everything from a chef's hat to regularly washed aprons will improve food hygiene and it's up to you to ensure employees know how to handle food correctly, store ingredients and scrub down food preparation areas after use.
Provide personal protective equipment
According to the Health and Safety Executive, it's the responsibility of employers to provide the correct personal protective equipment for a particular job. If your cleaners regularly use harsh chemicals, for instance, it would be wise to provide them with rubber gloves to cover their hands. One of the best ways to work out what safety gear you need for your staff is to carry out a risk assessment and aim to reduce hazards in every possible way.
Put up health and safety signs
The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996 states clearly that you should use a sign when there is a risk that has not been avoided or controlled by other means. Signs are divided into categories to help convey certain messages and include prohibition, warning, mandatory, exit and fire safety notices. There a many potential dangers within the hotel industry including hot water, low ceilings, slippery surfaces and such like, so make sure everyone stays as safe as possible.
Maintain your premises
Hotels can easily become tired-looking and worn down. Not only does a shabby premises look unappealing to paying customers but poor maintenance could be dangerous to someone's health. That's right, loose roof tiles, damaged water pipes, wobbly steps, leaking roofs and other similar structural problems are hazardous, so it's a good idea to make high-quality repairs as and when you see fit. Don't leave them to fester or get worse as you could end up with a lawsuit on your hands.
Run a tight ship
With so much to do on a daily basis, it can be easy to let standards slip. In short, this is not acceptable within your industry so your must run a tight ship. Ensure your management team are the best they can be and make sure all floors are swept, spills are mopped, fire exits are clear, toilets are cleaned, hallways aren't blocked, fire doors are closing properly, cleaning products are stored away correctly and such like. Inspections should be made on a regular basis.
The hospitality industry is busy, fast-paced and competitive. There's plenty to be getting on with but never let a busy schedule get in the way of health and safety.