Hotel safety & security

1. 1. Chapter 9: Safety and Property Security

2. 2. Personal Safety: Legal Liability & Guest Safety Safety Protection of an individual’s physical well-being and
health Security Protection of an individual or of business’ property or assets Hotels are not required to
ensure guest safety. However, must exercise reasonable care for guest and employee safety. Hotel may be
held wholly or partially liable for resulting loss or injury if it is found that a hotel has exhibited an absence of
reasonable care for guest safety. Hotels are not required to ensure guest safety. Hotel Operations
Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River,
NJ 07458
3. 3. Personal Safety: Staffing for Security Operation of Safety & Security Committee Reinforces that: Guest
safety and hotel security is the responsibility of every manager, supervisor, & employee of the hotel.
Employee safety training Training employees to 1) ensure guest safety, 2) work safely, and 3) assist hotel’s
security efforts. Employee safety training is an ongoing process Local law enforcement Local law
enforcement officials can provide no-cost safety Facility Engineering & Maintenance and security training for
employees. Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson
Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
4. 4. Personal Safety: Safety Resources Recodable locks Reduce chance for guests to be victimized in their
rooms by someone who had rented the same room on a prior night Help reduce the incident of employee
theft from rooms Surveillance systems Use of VCR - Recording activity at front desk, in parking areas, and
near cashiers Use of CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) -In a multiple-entry property where management
desires to monitor activity outside each entrance Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier
©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
5. 5. Personal Safety: Safety Resources Alarm systems Internal alarms Serve to deter criminal or mischief
activity Notify an area within the hotel if alarm is activated Protect storage areas, hotel facilities (pools, spa,
and exercise areas), and hotel and perimeter Contact alarms Notify (contact) an external entity such as fire
or police departments if alarm is activated Both federal law and local building codes mandate hotel fire
alarms Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice
Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
6. 6. Personal Safety: Safety Resources Emergency Plans: the identification of a threat to the safety and
security of the hotel & hotel’s planned response to the threat Response to events in most hotels’ emergency
plans Fire / power outages / severely inclement weather / robbery / death or injury to a guest or employee /
bomb threat / intense negative publicity by the media An emergency plan must be a written document,
including: Type of crisis Who should be told when the crisis occurs What should be done and who should do
it in the crisis Who should be informed of the results or impact of the crisis when it is over Where practical,
hotels should practice implementation of their plan ! Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier
©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
7. 7. Personal Safety: Special Safety Issues Swimming pools Figure 9.1 lists ten key practices for swimming
pool safety Spas Figure 9.2 lists ten key practices for spa safety Parking lots Figure 9.3 lists ten key
practices for parking lot safety Always remember how to improve guest safety and minimize the legal liability
of the hotel! Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson
Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
8. 8. Personal Safety: Documenting Safety Efforts All hotels should document their safety and security related
efforts! Prepare & complete MOD checklists for each critical area of hotel - Appropriate frequency, content
and number of checklist should be determined Incident reports listing the “who, what, where, and how”
should be filed and maintained Document minutes from safety and security committee meetings, general
staff meeting’s notes relevant to safety issues, records of employee training related to safety and security,
and safety seminars attended by employees Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004
Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
9. 9. Personal Safety: Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA regulations ensure businesses:
Provide a safe workplace for employees by complying with OSHA safety and health standards Provide
workers with only tools and equipment that meet OSHA specifications for health and safety Establish
training programs for employees who operate dangerous equipment Report to OSHA within 48 hrs of any
worksite accident that results in fatality or requires hospitalization of five or more employees Maintain the
“OSHA Log 200” (an on-site record of workrelated injuries or illness) and submit it to OSHA once per year
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
10. 10. Personal Safety: The Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA regulations ensure businesses
(continued…) Display OSHA notices regarding employee rights and safety in prominent places within the
hotel Provide all employees access to the Material Safety Data Sheets that provide information about the
dangerous chemicals they may be handling during work Offer no-cost hepatitis B vaccinations for
employees who may have come into contact with blood or body fluids Compliance with OSHA standards
Results in Fewer accidents Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier lower insurance costs
healthier workforce ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
11.
11. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security - Internal Threats Hotels bond those employees in a
position to embezzle funds Methods of fraud related to cashiering Charging guests for items not purchased,
then keeping the overcharge Changing totals on credit card charges after the guest has left or imprinting
additional credit card charges and pocketing the cash difference Misadding legitimate charges to create a
higher-than-appropriate total with the intent of keeping the overcharge Voiding legitimate sales as “mistakes”
and keeping the cash amount of the legitimate sale Charging higher-than-appropriate prices for hotel goods
 or services, recording the proper & Maintenance Facility Engineering price, then keeping the overcharge 9
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
12. 12. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security - Internal Threats (continued….) Three noncash assets
most subject to employee theft: Time Should have strong controls in place regarding time cards. Company
property Carefully screen employees prior to hiring Reduce theft opportunities by using effective security
Treat all proven cases of similar theft in a similar manner Services Monitor long-distance telephone bills
generated by each administrative telephone extension number Hotel Operations Management, 1/e
Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
13. 13. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security - External Threats Cash Robbery is not the occasion to
attempt the protection of cash assets. Robbery is the time to protect staff ! During a robbery, complying with
robber’s demands and observing the robber should be the employee’s sole concern. If no contact alarm is
installed in the cashier’s cash drawer, an employee who is robbed should, at the earliest safe opportunity,
contact local law enforcement officials as well as others indicated in the robbery section of the hotel’s
emergency plan. Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson
Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
14. 14. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security External Threats (continued….) Other assets: security-
conscious manager: Hang all artwork in lobbies & guest rooms with lock-down style hangers Avoid placing
valuable decorations & décor pieces in areas where they can be easily taken by guests Train room
attendants to alert management if excessive amounts of in-room items go missing from stay-over rooms Bolt
televisions securely to guestroom furniture Train all employees to be alert regarding loss of hotel property &
to report any suspicious activity Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson
Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
15. 15. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security Department-Specific Threats to Asset Security Front Office
Largest area of security concern is fraudulent selling of rooms Use housekeeping discrepancy report to
detect room revenue fraud Housekeeping Guest-theft of housekeeping supplies Theft from guest rooms by
room attendants or other employees - best policy is to report the incident to local law enforcement Hotel
Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall Upper
Saddle River, NJ 07458
16. 16. Property Security: Threats to Asset Security Department-Specific Threats to Asset Security Food &
Beverage Hotel suppliers such as silverware and glassware taken by guests Employees accepting
kickbacks from vendors or by purchasing, then stealing, food and beverage items intended for the hotel
Sales & Marketing Misstating mileage traveled, clients entertained, or sales trips taken Maintenance &
Engineering Employee theft of hand tools and supplies Implementing a sign-in/sign-out program for tools
Hotel Operations Management, 1/e Hayes/Ninemeier ©2004 Pearson Education Pearson Prentice Hall
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458