HOUSEKEEPING

EMERGENCY and
SAFETY PROCEDURES

Group IV- 3H2

 SAFE OPERATING
PROCEDURE:
HOUSEKEEPING
Purpose
A clean workstation free of debris and
clutter is
critical to maintaining a safe work
environment.
Housekeeping is a continual effort, but one
where
the rewards are far greater than the effort.
The
proper management of routine tasks should
be
maintained at all times.
 Poor housekeeping affects all aspects
Application
 Housekeeping is the responsibility of all
employees.
Employees are responsible for their departments
and any
other locations they do work for Supervisors are
responsible for overseeing employees and insuring
that
proper housekeeping is maintained.
 We must take every precaution to prevent
accidents.
Managers and employees must take responsibility
for their
safety and for the safety of our customers. The key
is
consistent use of safe work practices. Work areas
should
 If a problem exists at any point the
employee
should contact a supervisor or complete a
“Report
of Unsafe Conditions” form. Aspects of
proper
housekeeping practices are outlined in all
safety
programs and trainings. This is a summary
of the
major housekeeping tasks that must be
maintained on a regular basis.
 Emergency and Safety
Procedures
 Executive housekeepers should institute safety-
training programs design to instruct
housekeeping employees in safe work practices.
Specific instructions to guard against hazards and
dangers unique to their job assignments should
also be provided.
 Housekeeping departments of large lodging
establishments often form safety committees
consisting of three or four employees for the
purpose of preventing accidents from happening
and investigating accidents after they take place
in the workplace. Members of the safety
committee regularly inspect all areas in the
department, such as the laundry room, and
employee areas, looking for possible and safety
and fire hazards.
Problems that are usually
encountered in a hotel are as
follows:

3. Fire
4. Floods
5. Earthquake
6. Typhoons
 Fires and Explosions
Small fires can easily be extinguished without
evacuating the building or calling the fire
department. However, even a small fire can
quickly become a serious problem. The first few
minutes are critical to preventing a larger
emergency.

Classification of Fire:
4. Class A fires- ordinary combustible solids such
as paper, wood, rubber, and textiles.
5. Class B fires- petroleum hydrocarbons and
volatile flammable solvents.
6. Class C fires- electrical equipment.
7. Class D fires- combustible or reactive metals
such as sodium, potassium, or magnesium,
metal hydrides, or organometallics.
Causes of Fire

ØCarelessness (including smoking)

ØBurning rubbish / waste

ØPoor housekeeping

ØElectrical faults

ØMisuse of electrical installations

 Fire Prevention
 Fires in lodging properties are quite common but
so is the fact that most hotels, motels and resorts
with state of the art equipment to suppress fires
when they occur. Executive housekeepers can
help prevent fires by fireproofing guestroom
furnishing. Curtains, carpets, pillows, blankets,
and upholstery should be purchased labeled as
fire-retardant or flameproof, as cigarette smoking
in bed by guests is the typical cause of fires in
guestrooms.
 Above all, employees must be trained not to
panic in case of fire but remain calm in all cases.
Panic emotion can cause people to feel
disoriented, preventing them from acting
rationally.
If there is any doubt whether the fire
can be controlled locally by available
personnel or equipment, the
following actions should be taken:
2. Activate the emergency alarm system.
3. Confine the fire (close window, doors
between rooms, and fire doors) to prevent
further spread of the fire.
4. Assist injured personnel.
5. Evacuate the building; move to an assemble
point for accountability. (See the Emergency
Response Plan for your assembly area.)
6. DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO GO BACK INTO
THE BUILDING!
Emergency Exit Plan
 Flood Prevention
 By installing and maintaining
floodgates at all potential entry
points into the hotel.
 Sandbags are on hand during
typhoon season in preparation for
any continuous downpour that may
occur
 Earthquakes
Dangers associated with
Earthquakes:
2. Partial building collapse such as collapsing
walls, falling ceiling plaster, dislodged
light fixtures and pictures.
3. Flying glass from shattered windows.
4. Overturned furniture such as cabinets,
standing lamps or bookcases.
5. Fires, broken gas lines and similar causes.
6. Fallen power lines.
7. Inappropriate actions resulting from panic.
 Safety Rules during
Earthquake:
 Remain Calm!

If your inside the hotel:

4. Stand in doorway.
5. Get under a table or desk.
6. Brace yourself in an inside corner
away from windows.
7. Move to an inner wall or corridor.
8. Watch for falling objects.
2. Stay away from tall shelves,
cabinets and other furniture that
might slide or topple.
3. Stay away from windows, sliding
glass doors and mirrors.
4. Grab anything handy to shield your
head and face from falling debris
and splintering glass.
5. Do not be alarmed if the fire alarm
or sprinklers go off.
6. Do not rush outside...stay on the
same floor that you are on.
11. Do not use the elevators as the
power for elevators may go out
and leave you trapped.
12. The greatest danger from falling
debris is just outside doorways
and close to outer walls.

If you are outside the hotel:

4. Move away from the building,
garage walls, power poles and lamp
posts.
5. If possible, proceed cautiously to a
safe area.
General Safety Rules after an
Earthquake:
 Remain calm. Do not panic.
 Do not light matches, cigarettes or turn
on
 electrical switches.
 Protect hands and feet in all areas near
 broken glass or debris.
 Keep head and feet protected (with
blanket, hat, pillow, etc).
 Fill your bathtub and sink with water.
 Wait for further instructions by the Hotel
Emergency Response team
 Other Safety Tips for
Housekeeping Workers:
 Use gloves as often as possible in the
workplace.
 Use goggles when decanting hazardous
chemicals.
 Wipe all spills immediately, particularly on the
floors.
 Walk; do not run!
 Report all hallway obstructions.
 Discard chipped or broken glassware safely.
 Use pan and brush to sweep up broken glass.
 Never touch electrical switches with wet hands.
 Do not use equipment that has frayed electrical
cords.

 Keep stored material away from sprinkler heads
and light bulbs.
 Do not use chairs or boxes to reach for stored
material.
 Keep loads close to body when lifting.
 Bend knees and keep a straight back when
lifting heavy objects.
 Never try to give heavy liquids to an
unconscious person.
 Control bleeding by pressing on the wound with
a clean towel.
 Do not use bare hands to push or pull trash in
wastebaskets.
 Handled soiled linen with care to avoid contact
with sharps.
 Always use gloves to handle blood spills or
stains,
 Report any real or potential safety hazard to
your supervisor.
 Employee Theft
 Estimates of employee theft in the
workplace are very high. It is believed that
half of all employees steal from their
employers. Housekeeping employees have
ample opportunities to steal and pilfer-
they can steal from guests, as they have
master keys to access the guests’ rooms;
and they can pilfer company property,
particularly guest and cleaning supplies,
linens, and tools.
 Minimizing Theft
 An effective way of controlling employee theft is by
implementing a parcel-pass system by which
employees leaving the property must show security
officers a signed authorization to remove any items
from the premises. A designated entrance/exit for
employees that is controlled by security can be very
effective, deterring individuals from exiting the
premises through unmonitored doors.
 Properties that use keys rather than cards must
establish an effective way of limiting access to
guestrooms, floor closets, and storerooms by
establishing a key-control system. Keys must be
accounted for at all times by logging them in and out
at the beginning and end of shits. To avoid
misplacement, master keys should be attached to a
cord or lanyard or placed in large metal rings.
 Theft by guests and
Intruders
 The proverbial filching of towels by guests is a
common today as it has ever been. In some cases,
cash-only guests take with them bathroom
appliances, coffee makers, blankets, pillows,
clock/radios, telephones, TV sets, and, in rare
cases, the entire furniture of rooms by parking a
van behind the room sliding door/window.
 Guest theft can be minimized by the
establishment’s not admitting travelers who don’t
own a credit card. In any case, section
housekeepers should be trained to report
immediately any missing item from rooms or when
observing a guest’s suitcases or trunks and the
presence of suspicious characters loitering in