Tag Archives: Health

by | April 9, 2013 · 6:37 am

Hospitality Industry Health Solutions: Hotel And Restaurant Kitchen Cleanliness Reflects Employees’ “Commitment To Businesses’ Success”

“…the cleanliness of a kitchen is an indicator of workplace culture and the commitment of your employees to contribute to enterprise success Hospitality Industry Kitchen Cleanlinessand value. If you see it getting  messy, you may have underlying problems that need to be addressed immediately…if (employees) are not washing the kitchen in the workplace, it means that they see  themselves more as renters than as owners. It means that they feel transitory,  that they’re passing through. They don’t have a real psychological contract with  the company, space, workplace. That’s a problem.”
So stop what you’re doing and deal with the problem…”

One of the best ways to predict the quality of meals and service at a  restaurant is to examine the restroom. Restrooms — including toilets, tiles and washbasins — are among the  easiest rooms to clean. If a restaurant staff can’t keep the restroom clean,  then you can be sure that the kitchen will be worse. It doesn’t matter if it’s a  fancy, upscale restaurant or simple diner.

Messy kitchens tend to breed foodborne pathogens, poor quality food and  indifference to customers. Conversely, clean kitchens reflect healthiness,  passion for quality and desire to delight customers. That’s why the world’s best  kitchen staffs — even many quick-serve restaurants — consider organization and  technique the foundation of everything else.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197645/what-workplace-kitchens-say-about-the-health-of-yo.html#ixzz2PyRj0cDc

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by | March 11, 2013 · 8:08 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Washington Restaurant Closed For Multiple Health Code Violations That Led To Food Poisoning Outbreak

“…(violations included)…foods not protected from cross contamination, poor personal hygiene practices and Restaurant Health Code Violationsinsufficient handwashing; equipment not properly sanitized, handwashing facilities not working and an imminent health hazard: establishment linked to a foodborne illness outbreak…”

The Ambassel Bar and Restaurant on Jefferson Street in Seattle, Washington has been closed by health authorities after they discovered several health violations and associated it with a food poisoning outbreak. Public information officer for the Seattle and King County Health Department Katie Ross told Food Poisoning Bulletin that they are aware of two cases of E. coli associated with this restaurant in mid-February. She said that both cases were adults. One person was “briefly hospitalized” and both have recovered.

Seattle and King County health authorities closed the restaurant, which serves Ethiopian food, after a number of food safety violations were discovered and patrons who ate at the restaurant became ill.  Five violations were listed on the notification of closure.

Restaurant employees are a contributing factor in more than 65 percent of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S.,  according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Bacteria that causes disease can be transmitted directly from an infected food employee through food. That’s why restaurant employee health and personal hygiene are so important.

For more:  http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2013/food-poisoning-outbreak-closes-ambassel-restaurant-in-seattle/

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by | November 26, 2012 · 7:16 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Tennessee Restaurant Employees Offered "Free Vaccines" By Non-Profit Group; Lack Of Health Insurance And Risks Of Contracting Flu Cited

“… healthcare professionals with The Shot Nurse have been visiting hundreds of Memphis area restaurants offering free vaccines for employees made possible with funding from Serving Memphis. Restaurant workers were chosen for the campaign for a number of reasons. They frequently lack health insurance, or work multiple jobs making it difficult to find time to get vaccinated. Also, their work with the general public puts restaurant employees at greater risk to contract the flu…”

Getting sick hurts restaurant workers in another place: Their pocketbook. “In this industry, you live off each day of work,” Hafford said.

So far this year, Pietri estimates she’s surprised more than 200 restaurants and injected 430 workers with the flu vaccine. The registered nurse works for The Shot Nurse, which would charge $25 per injection. But that expense is being born by three people who either own restaurants or have had family in the business: Michael Uiberall, Wight Boggs and Sandy Robertson.

They are paying for the shots through their new nonprofit, Serving Memphis.

“We’re trying to target people who are in minimum-wage positions,” said Boggs, an owner of Huey’s restaurants. They’re often young adults, she said, adding, “We’re trying to get them to start thinking about a healthy lifestyle early on.”

The goal is to provide 500 flu shots this year. “Next year, we hope to do 800 shots,” said Uiberall, a partner in the CPA firm Watkins Uiberall.

For more:  http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/21/new-group-aims-to-keep-memphis-restaurant/?CID=happeningnow

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by | November 16, 2012 · 7:12 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Data Reveals Few U.S. Hotels Have "Carbon Monoxide Alarms" Installed; 30 Incidents Of Elevated CO Levels Has Led To Evacuations And 8 Deaths

“…Few of the roughly 4.9 million rooms in 51,214 lodging properties with at least 15 rooms have (carbon monoxide) alarms…From 2010 through Nov. 8, 2102, there were 30 incidents of fire departments or government officials finding elevated levels of CO at U.S. hotels…in the 30 incidents, more than 1,300 people were evacuated, eight died, and at least 170 were affected by CO, treated by medical personnel or hospitalized…”

Neil Hampson was inside his room at a lodge in Alaska during a salmon fishing vacation three years ago when his carbon monoxide alarm sounded. Hampson, a Seattle doctor and expert on carbon monoxide, went to the basement and found the CO level four times higher. He says he turned off the gas for the water heater, and CO levels throughout the building “dropped precipitously.”

A plumber later found that the water heater was improperly vented, he says, and the lodge owner installed CO alarms in each sleeping room. Guests and staff at the lodge near Alaska’s Kenai River were fortunate Hampson carries an alarm which detects the odorless, colorless poison gas that can cause brain damage or be lethal.

Only a handful of state or municipal laws require them, although more than 1,300 people were evacuated nationally from hotels because of high CO levels in recent years.

CO, often called “the silent killer,” is such a threat that the National Fire Protection Association says CO alarms should be near bedrooms in every home.

For more:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2012/11/15/hotels-carbon-monoxide-alarms/1707863/

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by | August 21, 2012 · 6:12 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Illinois Hotel Sued For "Failing To Recognize Signs Of, Inspect And Exterminate Bed Bugs In Guest Rooms"

“…(the lawsuit) is against…Marriott and the former Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel for failing to provide guests with a sanitary rooms, failing to inspect and exterminate rooms and failing to recognize signs of bed bug attacks, among other claims…”

Two women filed a lawsuit Monday in Cook County Circuit Court againstMarriott International Inc.and a now-closed Lisle Marriott Conference Center after claiming they and their respective children received numerous bed bug bites while staying at the hotel last August. April, Safford and the two children stayed at the suburban hotel from Aug. 6 to Aug. 15, 2011, according to the lawsuit.

During her stay at the hotel, April noticed bumps and bites all over her child’s “arms, hands, back, legs and scalp” while helping him get dressed, according to the lawsuit. She brought this to the attention of the manager, who asked if April had made a request for clean sheets, the lawsuit says.

The two women and both children were diagnosed as having “numerous bed bug bites from a significant infestation,” according to the lawsuit.

For more:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/lisle/chi-women-sue-hotel-chain-over-bed-bug-bites-20120820,0,3322080.story

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by | August 19, 2012 · 11:49 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: California Hotels And Restaurants Must Establish Procedures And Provide Training For "Heat Illness Prevention" For All Outdoor Workers

 “…the California Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Division of Occupational Safety and Health(commonly referred to as Cal/OSHA) is urging employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illness and allow for new workers to adjust to changes in weather (also known as acclimatization)…”

Cal/OSHA’s website provides employers with a Heat Illness Prevention e-tool for reference.

Under California’s first-in-the-nation heat illness prevention standard, employers with outdoor workers are required to establish and implement emergency procedures, and provide training on heat illness prevention to all workers. Every outdoor workplace must have drinking water for workers – at least one quart per hour per employee – and shade for recovery and rest periods. Shade must be provided when temperatures are above 85 degrees, and be available at employee request at any temperature. Employers are also required to train employees to properly identify heat illness symptoms.

The heat illness prevention standard was strengthened two years ago to include a high heat provision that must be implemented by five different industries when temperatures reach 95 degrees. These procedures include observing employees, closely supervising new employees, and reminding all employees throughout the shift to drink water. The specified industries include agriculture, construction, landscaping, oil and gas extraction and transportation or delivery of agricultural products, construction material or other heavy material. However, all employers are advised to take additional precautions during periods of high heat.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/15/4729437/calosha-reminds-employers-to-stay.html#storylink=cpy

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by | October 18, 2011 · 9:04 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Wisconsin Hotels Respond To Complaints Of "Bed Bugs" With Swift Action

“Although the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) estimates there has been an increase in bed bugs in America over the last several years, the increase has had a minimal impact on the vast majority of hotels. Bed bugs are brought into hotels by guests; it is not a hotel sanitation issue. Education, awareness, and vigilance are critical. A trained and knowledgeable housekeeping staff is one of the best lines of defense, along with having regular pest control inspections as we have in place at the Rodeway Inn and Suites.”

The Health Department said it has gotten bed bug complains about the Rodeway Inn on Hastings Way and the Days Inn on Craig Road. These reports show how both hotels took quick action to control their bed bug problems.

But the Health Department said it’s important to remember that just because a hotel has the bugs, it doesn’t mean they’re dirty. “They can get into small cracks and crevasses and crawl out in the place they stop at and quite frequently that is a hotel,” said Courtenay Johnson, the Director of Environmental Health.

A complaint about the Rodeway Inn, filed with the Health Department by a guest claims they found six bed bugs on their bed. Another complaint about the Days Inn on Craig Road showed bed big sniffing dogs looking for the blood sucking pests. Both documents show the hotels took swift action.

“I haven’t seen a hotel or heard of one anywhere else that’s allowed a bed bug infestation to persist,” Johnson said.

For more;  http://www.weau.com/news/headlines/131902858.html?ref=858

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by | April 13, 2011 · 9:31 am

Hospitality Industry Guest Health Risks: Major Hotel Sued In New York Supreme Court Over "Legionnaires' Disease Contracted At Dubai Hotel

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is facing a $16.7m (AED61.3m) lawsuit in the US after two guests staying at the Westin Mina Seyahi in Dubai claim they caught legionnaires disease at the property.

The paper reported that Nogues started to feel weak and feverish two days after checking into the hotel with her son and a friend on February 14. With her health deteriorating, she returned to France on February 21 where she was also diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease.

The suit claims that Thomas Boyle, from Britain, and Elodie Nogues, from France, contracted the disease after staying at the Westin in January and February of 2009, according to a report in The National.

It claims the health of the pair deteriorated rapidly and resulted in hospital stays.

The disease is a form of pneumonia spread through airborne water droplets, which thrives in water and air-conditioning systems.

For more:  http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-hotel-faces-16-7m-lawsuit-over-legionnaires-393411.html

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by | April 8, 2011 · 10:53 am

Hospitality Industry Health Insurance: Law Firms Advise Hotel Ownership And Management To Prepare For Implementation Of Health Care Reform With "Wellness Programs" And State-Run "Insurance Exchanges" On The Way

Given the legal challenges to the proposed reform of the United States health care industry, there might be a temptation on the part of hoteliers to take a laid-back attitude toward preparing for the changes. That line of thinking, however, would be a mistake, said Scott Sinder, a partner in the Steptoe & Johnson law firm government affairs and public policy practice.

  • One of the biggest issues hotel companies will have to wrestle with will be whether to retain grandfather status, which refers to plans in place prior to 23 March 2010
  • Grandfathered plans, for example, can allow for changes to the network of providers but cannot impose new or decreased annual spending limits
  • The potential introduction of a wellness provision that provides funding for employers to establish wellness programs…will be the biggest key to keeping health-care costs down
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that just 38% of the employees in the hospitality sector had access to health care as of March 2010 compared with 71% across all industries
  • Every state will eventually have an Insurance Exchange as most state lawsuits against health care reform will be settled before Presidential Election

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/5314/Hoteliers-should-assume-health-care-changes

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by | February 25, 2011 · 10:48 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Hotel Management Must Make Guest Room "Cleanliness" A Priority As Mattresses, Bed Covers And Bathroom Sink Areas Are Havens For Germs

“…In hotel rooms that aren’t properly disinfected, some of the germiest areas tend to be the faucet and sink areas, the flusher of the toilet, the underside of the toilet seat and the shower floor…”

“The first thing I do when I stay at a hotel is remove the comforter and store it in the closet.”

When it comes to hotel bedding, allergens are the biggest problem for guests, Tierno said. Evidence of bedbugs is an immediate dealbreaker for Tierno, but we’ll leave them out of the picture here since that problem is closely related to the presence of guests, not germs.

You can probably imagine what might be lurking in the mattress, but here’s a sampling for those who hesitated: skin cells (when humans sleep they shed about 1.5 million cells or cell clusters an hour), human hair, bodily secretions, fungi, bacteria, dust, dust mites, lint, insect parts, pollen, cosmetics … and more.

Some of the newer hotels use the type of impervious, waterproof covers Tierno carries with him, but most don’t, he said. While the covers were developed for allergy sufferers, Tierno encourages everyone to use them at home and on the road. Ask when you reserve if the hotel uses allergy barriers on beds.

And definitely ditch the bedspread, Tierno advises.

Hotel bedspreads became a hot topic when one featuring bodily fluids from several sources was introduced in boxer Mike Tyson’s 1992 rape trial. The American Hotel & Lodging Association got so many queries at the time that it came out with a statement saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “has NEVER identified, seen, or classified ANY significant disease outbreak in hotel or motel rooms as a result of hotel bedspreads and blankets.”

While many hotels have followed in the footsteps of Westin Hotels and Resorts, adopting a duvet model of bedding mimicking the brand’s Heavenly Bed, plenty of chains on the lower end still use quilted bedspreads.

For more:  http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/25/hotel.hygiene/#

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