Hotel Front Office Management, 3rd Edition

402 CHAPTER 14: SECURITYThe innkeeper must periodically inspect the facility to discover hidden or latentdefects and then to remove or repair those defects. During the time prior to repairthe innkeeper has a duty to warn the guests about the existence and location of thedangers. 14How does hotel management begin to develop guidelines for employee safety?Employee Safety CommitteeThe best way to begin is to establish a safety committee, a group of frontline employeesand supervisors who discuss safety issues concerning guests and employees. Frontlineemployees know the details of day-to-day hazards. They deal with the faulty equipment,traverse the crowded banquet rooms, work next to one another in a poorly laid-outkitchen, process soiled laundry, push carts through busy public corridors, and hear guestcomplaints during checkout. Moreover, these people make up part of the group thatemployee safety procedures are supposed to protect. Why not give them an opportunityto make their environment better? Although some employees do not want this responsibility,other employees will welcome this opportunity. With positive results, there maybe a few more volunteers the next time. Management is a necessary part of the committee,not only because it is used to carrying out long-range plans but because it supplies theclout and support needed to implement the procedures.COMPOSITION AND ACTIVITIES OF THE SAFETY COMMITTEEThe safety committee should include representatives from all departments in the hotel.If this is not possible, then co-committees for each shift might be an option. Managementshould convey the importance of the safety committee. Every comment received from themembers is worthwhile and should be noted in the minutes of the meeting (Figure 14-7).Checklists with assignments for fact-finding tours, to be reported on at the next meeting,should be distributed to begin the process. The meetings should not be mere formalities,quickly conducted with little thought about their content. At each meeting, the minutesof the previous meeting should be read, and progress made in accomplishing goals shouldbe reported. Members will want to see that the tiles in the laundry room, the leak in thestack steamer, and the worn rug in the lobby have been repaired or replaced as suggested.Department Supervisors ResponsibilityEach department director must encourage a safety-conscious attitude. Managementmembers can set an example by following safety procedures themselves when operatingequipment and by scheduling adequate staff during busy time periods and following upon requests for repairs. If employees know that you place safety first, they will also adoptthat attitude.TLFeBOOK