Tag Archives: Sickness

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Alabama Hotel Guests Hospitalized By “Excessive Pool Chlorine Exposure”; Employee Failed To Turn Pump On

Hotel Pool Chlorine Health Issues“…employees of the hotel were putting chlorine in the pool without the pump on.  When the pump was turned back on, chlorine came out too fast instead of gradually…”

Nine people were sickened Sunday after coming into contact with too much chlorine at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa in Hoover.

Hoover Fire and Rescue were called out Sunday afternoon to the hotel pool where nine people had become ill.

Five people were treated on the scene. Two adults and two children were transported to local hospitals.
The pool was closed down for a short time but has since been reopened.

For more:  http://www.myfoxal.com/story/22427405/nine-people-sick-after-coming-into-contact-with-chlorine-at-a-hoover-hotel-pool

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Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Injuries, Labor Issues, Liability, Maintenance, Pool And Spa

Hotel Industry Pool Risks: Texas Hotel Indoor Pool Chlorination System Sickens Dozens Of Guests

Dozens of people, mostly children, were treated for unknown respiratory ailments Saturday after swimming in a South Lubbock hotel pool.

First responders set up a medical triage in front of Embassy Suites hotel, Slide Road and South Loop 289, to treat 24 people who started having trouble breathing while in and around the hotel’s indoor swimming pool.

None of the patients’ ailments were considered life-threatening, said Chris Teague, director of Lubbock EMS.

Investigators with the city and Fire Marshal’s Office believe the problem happened when an automatic pool chlorination system released too much of the cleaning agent into the water, said Elliot Eldredge with the Lubbock Fire Marshal’s Office.

Several parents and children who were in the pool area at about 5 p.m. said they noticed an overwhelming smell of chlorine coming from the pool.

Many of the children in the pool started coughing and immediately evacuated the room.

For more:  http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2011-03-20/dozens-treated-respiratory-ailments-south-lubbock-hotel-pool

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Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Injuries, Pool And Spa, Risk Management

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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Filed under Food Illnesses, Guest Issues, Health, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Hotel Industry Health Risks: Hotel In Minnesota Has Laundry Chemical Sicken 6 Employees

A mix of laundry chemicals at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Eagan sent six employees the hospital…

Paramedics were called to the hotel at 2700 Pilot Knob Road around 10:30 a.m. after a hotel worker collapsed near the pool. Two laundry chemicals were found nearby – Destainer (Sodium Hypochlorite solution) and Sour 21 (Hydrofluorosilicic acid), which when combined form a corrosive chemical that can be fatal if ingested.

The six employees were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Five were treated and released, with one staying overnight for observation.

The hotel was evacuated. 59 guests were registered for a stay at the hotel at the time of the incident, but not all were there at the time.

For more:  http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/laundry-chemicals-eagan-crowne-plaza-collapse-aug-6-2010

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Spa Pool Risks: Hopsitality Owners Should Be Aware Of Microorganisms Present In Spa Pools And Take Steps To Prevent Proliferation

 The risk potential of contact with pathogens through spa pool use has been exacerbated through the promotion of the therapeutic properties of spas. Spa treatments can provide suffers of muscular skeletal disorders, such as rheumatism, relief from pain. However, this has become confused with mineral spa treatments for general ailments. Consequently, many people suffering from common illnesses, such as influenza or digestion complaints, frequent leisure spa pools hoping to gain some relief from their symptoms. Unfortunately, such practice can introduce the bacteria into the Spa system and consequently increase the risk of infection for other bathers.

(From a NalcoEurope.com posting)   Spa pools are the third most common cause of legionnaires disease and are known to harbour other bacteria that can cause serious skin complaints and even blindness.

A commercial spa pool should be considered as any bath that consists of a self-contained body of water, which is recirculated, filtered, heated, and chemically treated but is not emptied and cleaned and refilled after each bather.

Due to the high water temperatures (30-40°C), availability of nutrients and convoluted design Spa pools are particularly prone to microorganism proliferation. Furthermore, due to the high level of contact between the bather’s skin and the spa surface, biofilms quickly form and so frequent cleaning is essential.

Continuous filtration to remove contaminants and the application of a disinfectant is imperative in order to ensure safe hygienic conditions.

Spa pools should not be considered as small swimming pools. Spa pools operate with much smaller volumes of water in relation to the number of bathers that use them. In addition, water temperatures are much higher as is aerosol generation and the general risk to bathers from the number of water borne pathogens.

The following table identifies the micro flora that are of particular concern in spas:

Bacteria Illness Description Other Detail
Shigella Diarrhoea, Fever, Nausea 1-3 day incubation, 4-7 day illness,
E Coli Diarrhoea, Vomiting, Fever 3-4 day incubation, & day illness
Giardia Gastroenteritis 7-12 day incubation, 7-10 day illness,
Cryptosporidium Diarrhoea, Vomiting, Fever, Cramps 7 day incubation, 10-14 day illness,
Legionella Flu Like Pneumonia Aerosols – SPA & HVAC
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Follicultis – Swelling of Ear Canal Transmitted on Any Wet Surface
Mycobacterium spp Broken Skin Infections Bather Shed on Wet Surfaces
Mycobacterium. Avium Respiratory Illness – Flu Hypersensitivity pneumonitis Bather Shed.
Aerosol Transmission
Staphylococcus Aureus Skin, Wound, Eye & Ear Infections. Impetigo Bather Shed.
Leptospira Interrogans Weils Disease – Haemorrhagic Jaundice
Aseptic Meningitis
10-20 day incubation, Pool Infected by Urine from Infected Humans and Animals

http://www.nalcoeurope.com/library/spa-pools-and-pathogen-risk-assessment.html

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