Safety and Security Issues

Chapter 14
Safety and
Security
Issues
Security and Safety Issues
 The Importance Of A Protected
Environment
 Safety And Security Programs: Four-Step
Safety And Security Management Method
 Crimes Against Hospitality Businesses
 Crisis Management Programs
© 2012 Stephen C. Barth P.C. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
In This Chapter, You Will Learn:
1. To recognize the responsibility hospitality

managers have to protect the safety and security
of guests and employees in hospitality operations.
2. To carry out the procedures needed to limit the
potential liability of safety risks and security risks.
3. To minimize the risk of crimes against your own
business operation.
4. To recognize the need for and benefit of
implementing an effective crisis management
plan.
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The Importance of a Protected
Environment
 Legalese:
Safety Program – Those procedures and

activities designed to insure the
physical protection and good health of
guests and employees.
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Environment
 Legalese:
Security Program – Those procedures and

activities designed to protect the property
or assets of guests, employees, and the
business.
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Analyze the Situation 14.1
Mr. and Mrs. Angelo were frequent diners at the

Buffet World restaurant, a moderately priced
operation that featured an all-you-can-eat lunch and
dinner buffet. Jessie Carroll was the manager of the
restaurant.
On a busy Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Angelo
entered the restaurant, paid for their meal, and were
directed to their table by the dining room greeter. As
Mrs. Angelo sat down, the wooden dining room chair
snapped under her weight. Her neck was injured as
she fell on the restaurant's tile floor.
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The Angelos sued Buffet World,

charging negligence in the operation of the
restaurant. Their attorney argued that the
normal wear and tear of chairs was a
foreseeable event, and thus an inspection
program should have been in place. No
such program could be shown by the
restaurant to have existed.
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The attorney for the restaurant countered

that Mrs. Angelo was “larger” than the average
guest, and therefore Buffet World could not
have foreseen that she would be seated in a
chair that was not capable of holding her
weight. The restaurant's attorney also noted
that Buffet World had never experienced a
problem like this before.
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1. Is Mrs. Angelo's actual weight a relevant issue

in her case against the restaurant?
2. What evidence could the restaurant have
provided to its attorney to demonstrate
reasonable care in the inspection of its dining
room furniture?
3. If it were independently owned, who would be
responsible for designing and implementing an
effective furniture inspection program for Buffet
World?
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Environment
 Legalese:
Crisis – An occurrence that holds the

potential to jeopardize the health of
individuals and or the business.
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Crisis Management
 Power outages  Accident / injury
 Vandalism  Drug overdose
 Arson / fire  Medical emergency
 Bomb threats  Rescue breathing /
 Robbery cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR)
 Looting  Death / suicide
 Hurricanes  Intense media scrutiny
 Tornados  Adversarial governmental agency
 Earthquake investigation
 Floods  Civil disturbance
 Snow and Ice
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Wayne Dobinion was the District Manager

for a franchised quick-service Mexican-style
restaurant in a large city. On a Friday night at
11:30 P.M., just after the restaurant locked its
front doors to the general public, three masked
men entered the store through the unlocked
back kitchen door. They demanded that the
Assistant Manager on duty at the time turn over
all the restaurant's cash.
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Nervously, the 19-year-old Assistant Manager

explained that all the cash had been deposited
in a safe in the Manager's office and that he had
no ability to open it.
Angry at their inability to rob the store, the
gunmen shot two of the restaurant workers,
including the assistant manager, as they fled the
restaurant. The Assistant Manager died from his
wounds. The robbery and shootings made that
night's local television news.
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A lawsuit filed by the Assistant

Manager's parents charged that the
restaurant lacked proper alarms and locks on
the back door. In addition, they charged that
the restaurant owners and the franchise
company failed to provide any training to its
staff regarding the proper response to an
armed robbery. The lawsuit was reported in a
front-page article in the local paper.
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An Investigative Reporter from another

television station in the city called the
restaurant's Manager requesting an on-air-
interview regarding the training employees
receive related to robberies. The Manager
referred the call to Mr. Dobinion.
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1. What issues will the courts and a jury likely

consider as they evaluate the legitimacy of the
parent's lawsuit?
2. What legal position might the franchisor take if
it had provided training materials to the local
franchisee, but never utilized those materials?
3. What is the likely outcome if Mr. Dobinion
refuses to meet with the investigative
reporter? What if Mr. Dobinion has not been
trained to do so?
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Advantages of Preplanning
1. Improved employee morale.

2. Improved management image.
3. Improved employee recruiting effectiveness.
4. Reduced insurance rates.
5. Reduced employee costs.
6. Improved operating ratios.
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Advantages of Preplanning
7. Reduced penalty costs for violations.

8. Support in the event of an accident.
9. Increased guest satisfaction.
10. Marketing advantages.
11. Reduced likelihood of negative press.
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Four-Step Safety and Security
Management Method
1. Recognition of threat.
2. Program development (response to
threat).
3. Program implementation.
4. Monitoring of program results.
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Program Development
1. Training for threat prevention.

2. Increased surveillance and/or patrol.
3. Systematic inspections.
4. Modification of facilities.
5. Establishing standard procedures.
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Significant Elements of a Hotel
Security Program
 Key controls
 Effective guestroom lock system
 Proper and adequate training of security staff
 Guestroom doors with one-way viewers and
chain / latch bars
 Adequate lighting and ongoing maintenance
 Perimeter controls
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Significant Elements of a Hotel
Security Program
 Employee background checks
 Employee education
 Guest safety education
 Written security policies and procedures
 Established responses to incidents and
corrective action
 Liaison with local authorities
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The Commodore Hotel was owned by

the First Community Insurance Company, and
managed by Fieldstone Hospitality
Management. After two separate guest
assaults occurred inside the hotel rooms,
Fieldstone Management approached First
Community Insurance with the idea of either
installing a closed circuit video camera (CCVC)
system in all hallways, or increasing the
lighting levels of the hotel's corridors.
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First Community Insurance authorized Fieldstone
Management to purchase a video surveillance
system consisting of six cameras and a central
location to view them. The events shown by the
cameras were not committed to tape.
Late on the evening of February 6, Mrs. Cynthia
Larson checked into the Commodore and was
assigned a room at the end of one of the hotel's
corridors. As she attempted to insert her electronic
key card into the door lock, she was assaulted.
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Mrs. Larson sued both Fieldstone
Management and First Community Insurance,
claiming that both companies' failure to
monitor their cameras was a direct cause of
her assault. In addition, she claimed that the
cameras' use was deceptive, in that it gave her
a false sense of security. As she stated, “The
cameras showed me the hotel cared about my
security, and I wanted to stay in a safe
location.”
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According to timesheets provided under

subpoena by the hotel, an employee was
assigned to view the cameras in the central
location for an average of two hours per night
between the hours of 8:00 P.M. and 6:00
A.M. The assault occurred at a time when no
employee was monitoring the cameras.
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The attorney for First Community

Insurance stated that the company was merely
the owner of the hotel, and not responsible for
day-to-day management, thus it should not be
held responsible for Mrs. Larson's injuries.
Fieldstone Management maintained that it too
should not be held responsible just because
the cameras installed were not monitored at all
times.
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The presence of the cameras themselves

and electronic locks on their guestroom
doors demonstrated that the company
used reasonable care in the protection of
its guests.
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1. Will First Community Insurance be held
partially responsible for the actions of
Fieldstone Management?
2. Did Fieldstone Management use reasonable
care in the installation and operation of the
camera system? Would it matter if the cameras
were recording to tape?
3. What could the hotel owners do in the future to
help avoid a similar situation with a guest?
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Safety and Security Programs
 Legalese:
Interdiction Programs – An arrangement

whereby citizens contact police to report
suspected criminal activity before a
crime is committed.
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Program Implementation
 Safety and Security Departments

 Safety and Security Guards
 Safety Committees
 Law Enforcement Relationships
1. Regularly scheduled meetings.
2. Neighborhood business watch programs.
3. Property safety and security reviews.
4. Interdiction programs.
5. Training programs.
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Establishing an Effective
Guestroom Lock Policy
1. Install an electronic locking system.
2. Train ALL new employees on the procedures
used to insure key security.
3. Never announce guestroom numbers out loud.
4. Do not allow the room number to be marked
directly on the key.
5. Do not identify the hotel with the key.
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Establishing an Effective
Guestroom Lock Policy
6. Do not reissue keys to guests without a positive
ID check.
7. Do not issue duplicate keys to anyone except the
registered user.
8. Minimize the number of master keys.
9. Keep a log of all existing masters and submasters.
10. Train all managers on duty (MODs) on the
procedures to conduct a lock audit. Record the
results of any audits performed.
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Monitoring Program Results
 Number of inspections performed
 Inspection or quality scores
 Number of incidents reported
 Dollar amount of losses sustained
 Number if insurance claims filed
 Number of lawsuits filed
 Number of serious or minor accidents
 Number of lost workdays by employees
 Insurance premium increases
 Number of drills or training exercises correctly performed
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Peggi Shulkey managed a commissary for a

large cafeteria company. Her facility
prepared food products for 75 company
restaurants. While her operation did not
have a tremendous number of work-related
accidents, Peggi believed the number of
accidents could be reduced.
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She formed a safety committee made

up of employees and management, and
charged them with the task of developing
a model program to reduce employee
injuries. The committee proposed the six-
step plan presented below. Their rationale
for each step is shown in italics.
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1. Proper selection of employees.

Since an employee with a drug problem is
dangerous, applicants should be required to
take a drug test before being hired. The
applicant must also execute a continuous
authorization for drug testing, which permits
the employer to administer a drug test in the
event of an accident.
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2. Designation of a Safety/Injury
Coordinator.
The Safety/Injury Coordinator will review
past accident records and implement
programs to reduce situations that may
result in accidents. The Safety Coordinator
will maintain a logbook of incidents so each
Department Supervisor can review the log
for incident trends.
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3. Implementation of mandatory safety

training.
Each employee will be trained in safety
related to his or her job.
4. Increased awareness of safety.
By implementing programs, games, and
posters, employees will be reminded to
think intelligently and safely.
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5. Implementation of incentive programs

for safety.
To further encourage safety, rewards
and incentives will be given to
employees who practice safe behavior.
6. Measurement of results.
To be determined by the General
Manager.
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1. What specific measurements might Peggi

use to gauge the effectiveness of the
group's plan?
2. How effective is training likely to be in
reducing this particular threat to safety?
3. Analyze the committee's plan for
thoroughness. Are there potential liabilities
that still need to be addressed?
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Karin Pelley was employed as a District

Manager by Ron's Roast Beef, a regional
chain of 150 quick-service restaurants
serving sandwiches, soups, and soft drinks.
Most of the stores were located in shopping
mall food courts or strip malls. Ms. Pelley
worked out of her home office, traveling to
visit her 12 assigned stores on a regular
basis.
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Ms. Pelley communicated with the

corporate office via telephone, fax machine, and
modem, all of which were installed in her home
by Advance Technology, a telecommunications
company selected by Ron's Roast Beef to
supply telecommunications equipment and
services to its employees. As part of its contract
with Ron's Roast Beef, Advance Technology
serviced the machines used by Ms. Pelley in her
daily work.
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When Ms. Pelley's modem stopped

working one day, she contacted her home
office, which then called Advance Technology
to request that a Service Technician be
dispatched to Ms. Pelley's home. The
technician arrived, but in the course of his visit
assaulted Ms. Pelley. The technician was later
apprehended by the police and convicted of
felony assault, his third such conviction in
three years.
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Ms. Pelley sued Advance Technology

claiming negligent hiring. In addition, her
attorney submitted a demand letter to Ron's
Roast Beef, requesting a $400,000
settlement from the company for negligence
in contracting its telecommunications services
from Advance Technology. The attorney for
Ron's Roast Beef refused to pay theclaim
stating that:
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 Ron's had no control over the hiring

practices of Advance Technology.
 Ms. Pelley was prohibited by law from
pursuing any injury claim against her
employer other than workers'
compensation, because the assault
occurred in Ms. Pelley's “office.”
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1. What responsibility did Ron's Roast Beef have

for providing a safe home working environment
for Ms. Pelley?
2. Will Ron's Roast Beef be held liable for the
damages suffered by Ms. Pelley? Will Advance
Technology be held liable?
3. What should Ron's do in the future to avoid
potential liability in situations such as this?
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Crimes Against Hospitality Business
 Consumer Theft of Services

 Fraudulent Payment
 Credit cards
 Cash
 Personal checks
 Internal Theft of Assets
 Embezzlement
 Theft of company property
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Crimes Against Hospitality
Business
 Legalese:
Bond-(ing) – An insurance agreement in

which the insurer guarantees payment
to an employer in the event of financial
loss caused by the actions of a specific
employee.
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Crisis Management Programs
 Legalese:
Emergency Plan – A procedure or series

of procedures implemented in response
to a crisis.
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 Legalese:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – A severe

reaction to an event that
threatened an individual’s physical or
emotional health.
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 Legalese:
Press Release – An official statement,

from an individual or organization,
that is distributed to the media and
other parties judged to be interested in
the information it contains.
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 Legalese:
Off The Record – An oral agreement

between a reporter and an interviewee
wherein the reporter promises not
to quote the interviewee’s comments
for publication.
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 Precrisis Planning
 Emergency Plan Development
 Emergency Plan Practice
 Crisis Response
 Management Response
 Staff Response
 Guest Response
 Media Relations
 Postcrisis Assessment
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Search the Web 14.1
Go online to www.cdc.gov/niosh/homicide.html
You will arrive at a Web site developed and operated by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH). NIOSH is operated by the federal government's
Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
At the site, scroll down, locate and read NIOSH Publication

No. 93-109, then proceed to the following:
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Search the Web 14.1
1. Currently, only the operation of motor vehicles and machinery caused
more workplace deaths than homicide. List five explanations you
believe can be used to help understand the proliferation of workplace
homicide incidents.
2. Identify the 10 occupations that most put workers at the risk of serious
workplace violence.
3. List five actions suggested by NIOSH to reduce life-threatening
situations at work.
4. Address the question of how a serious incident of workplace violence
would impact:
(a) Other employees
(b) Guests
(c) The business itself
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Irving Nash managed a 24-hour table

service restaurant that specialized in
breakfast items. Lendal Ketchar, a customer,
arrived at the restaurant at approximately
2:00 A.M. one morning. Upon entering the
restaurant, Mr. Ketchar tripped over the curb
leading to the sidewalk and broke his hip.
Because Mr. Ketchar was a very visible city
councilman, the incident was reported in the
local paper.
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Mr. Nash was interviewed extensively

about the cause of the accident. He
specifically mentioned to reporters that the
curb had not been painted bright yellow as a
warning to guests, nor were lighting levels
very high at the entrance area where he fell.
Irving Nash read the interviews and shared
them with his two assistant managers.
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Both suggested that the restaurant paint the

curb area, install additional lighting, and
inform the media that these actions were
undertaken. Mr. Nash's boss vetoed this idea,
however, stating that any action such as
painting the curb and installing light could
imply previous negligence on the part of the
organization and thus could increase the
organization's potential legal liability.
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1. Which factors would influence the potential liability of Mr.

Nash's restaurant for the accident?
2. Is the future liability of the restaurant greater under the
proposed action of Mr. Nash's assistant managers or his
boss?
3. What effective safety and security programs could be
undertaken to limit legal liability if Mr. Nash is required to
follow the advice of his boss?
4. As a professional hospitality manager, is Mr. Nash
ethically obligated to take action to prevent a further
occurrence of this type?
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What Would You Do?
You are the manager of a 150-room

limited service, all-suite hotel located off the
interstate highway near a large metropolitan
area. Kate Roessler is your executive
housekeeper. Ms. Roessler contacts you to
ask you to go with her to inspect room 415,
which is occupied by a guest, Mr. Barney.
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What Would You Do?
Ms. Roessler explains that the guest

has been checked in for 10 days, and has
had a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door for
all but two of those days. She has asked
you to view the room before it is cleaned,
because she says she is concerned for the
safety of her housekeepers in their routine
cleaning tasks.
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What Would You Do?
Upon entering the room, you observe

several ripped plastic baggies, money
wrappers, large quantities of empty fast
food containers, a scale, and a pistol holster
partially hidden under a mattress. You recall
that this is the same man who arrived by
cab to the hotel, and paid cash up front for
a two-week stay.
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What Would You Do?
1. Write a memo to your Executive Housekeeper outlining the
steps she is to take for servicing Mr. Barney ’s room.
2. Assuming a drug interdiction program is in place in your
city, would you contact that program to report Mr. Barney?
3. Regardless of your decision in question 2 above, if the
police asked to use the room next to that of Mr. Barney for
an undercover operation, would you allow them to do so?
4. Write a memo to the chief of police stating your position in
question 3, along with your rationale for the decision.
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Rapid Review
1. Describe three threats to safety and three threats to
security in the hospitality organization with which you are
most familiar. Explain how management currently
addresses (manages) these threats.
2. Assume you are the Foodservice Manager of a college
dormitory. You are asked to address parents regarding the
impact your facility will make on the overall educational
experience of their children. Compose a five-minute
presentation that addresses your safety and security
philosophy and its relation to the well-being and
educational experience of your residents.
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Rapid Review
3. Analyze the four-step safety and security management
method. Select one of the steps and prepare a three-minute
presentation that could be delivered to members of your
safety committee, in which you emphasize the importance
of this step.
4. Assume you have implemented a safety program designed
to reduce employee accidents resulting from improper
lifting techniques. Identify at least three different
measurable outcomes that could be used to evaluate the
program's effectiveness. Explain which of these three you
would use and why.
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Rapid Review
5. Contact your local law enforcement officials to

determine what training programs are offered to
businesses for the purpose of assisting those businesses
in their safety and security efforts. Determine the cost,
if any, of the programs, and the frequency with which
they will be offered in the coming 12 months.
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Rapid Review
6. The Educational Institute of the American Hotel and

Motel Association (EI) certifies hospitality security
guards. Log on to its Web site at www.ei-ahma.org and
identify the methods of qualifying for the designation
of Certified Lodging Security Director (CLSD).
Assume your property is considering such a program
for the head of your Safety and Security department.
Prepare a memo for your immediate supervisor
detailing the advantages and disadvantages of using the
EI program, as opposed to one you would develop
yourself.
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Rapid Review
7. Assume that a bomb threat has forced you to

evacuate your restaurant. The police have arrived;
no one has been hurt, but the press is at your
property. Create an outline of a one-page press
release that would address the items about which
the media would be most interested in learning.
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Rapid Review
8. An employee who burned himself while working

did not seek medical treatment. The employee
missed five days of work, then later filed, and won,
a workers' compensation claim, because the burn
became infected. Draft a memo outlining the
criteria your managers should use in the future for
determining which employee accidents will result
in mandatory medical treatment.
All Rights Reserved

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Chapter 14

1. To recognize the responsibility hospitality

Safety Program – Those procedures and

Security Program – Those procedures and

Mr. and Mrs. Angelo were frequent diners at the

The Angelos sued Buffet World,

The attorney for the restaurant countered

1. Is Mrs. Angelo's actual weight a relevant issue

Crisis – An occurrence that holds the

Wayne Dobinion was the District Manager

Nervously, the 19-year-old Assistant Manager

A lawsuit filed by the Assistant

An Investigative Reporter from another

1. What issues will the courts and a jury likely

1. Improved employee morale.

7. Reduced penalty costs for violations.

1. Training for threat prevention.

The Commodore Hotel was owned by

According to timesheets provided under

The attorney for First Community

The presence of the cameras themselves

Interdiction Programs – An arrangement

 Safety and Security Departments

Peggi Shulkey managed a commissary for a

She formed a safety committee made

1. Proper selection of employees.

3. Implementation of mandatory safety

5. Implementation of incentive programs

1. What specific measurements might Peggi

Karin Pelley was employed as a District

Ms. Pelley communicated with the

When Ms. Pelley's modem stopped

Ms. Pelley sued Advance Technology

 Ron's had no control over the hiring

1. What responsibility did Ron's Roast Beef have

 Consumer Theft of Services

Bond-(ing) – An insurance agreement in

Emergency Plan – A procedure or series

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – A severe

Press Release – An official statement,

Off The Record – An oral agreement

At the site, scroll down, locate and read NIOSH Publication

Irving Nash managed a 24-hour table

Mr. Nash was interviewed extensively

Both suggested that the restaurant paint the

1. Which factors would influence the potential liability of Mr.

You are the manager of a 150-room

Ms. Roessler explains that the guest

Upon entering the room, you observe

5. Contact your local law enforcement officials to

6. The Educational Institute of the American Hotel and

7. Assume that a bomb threat has forced you to

8. An employee who burned himself while working

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