Surajkund-NCR

Death of Guest/Staff in
Hotel
Introduction
It is not a pleasant scenario when a guest is found dead,
but it is a situation that requires immediate action, tact,
and most importantly, discretion. Knowing the
appropriate steps to take ahead of time can make dealing
with this easier and enable the hotel and its staff to return
to some semblance of normalcy quicker. Not counting
death resulting from criminal activity, guest deaths will
typically fall into one of two categories: those resulting
from natural causes or illness and those resulting from
suicide. Unfortunately, the manner and categorization of a
guest’s death will determine what actions a hotelier must
take to preserve the scene for authorities, safeguard the
guest’s personal property, and coordinate a removal and
clean-up strategy that does not call undue attention to
the situation while maintaining the hotel’s reputation.
 Responsibility: - Security Officer/ Asst.
Security Officer/ Security assistant
1) On receiving message about a guest’s/ staff death, the
following actions are taken by the security officer on duty
along with the senior executives present in the hotel.
2) Simultaneous actions are taken in co-ordination with
the Front Office Manager, Duty Manager, and Assistant
Security Officers etc.
3) Immediately calls the house doctor who is the ultimate
authority to certify the guest as dead.
4) Inform immediately the General Manager/Resident
Manager, Front Office Manager, Security Manager, Human
Resources Manager, Guests/ Staff next of kin, Guests
company officials, concerned embassy/consulate if the
guest is a foreigner.
5) On the guest being certified dead by the hotel doctor
informs police (incase of unnatural death / if there is no
contact of guest relation / office) and assist the police in
carrying out the spot MAHAZAR/ PANCHNAMA and other
enquiries.
6) Takes custody of the guest’s room and his belongings,
safe lockers and seals the room after photographing from
all angles for evidence.
7) Security Officer makes a detailed observation of the
room and tries to ascertain if there could be a foul play in
the death. Look for all physical evidences in the room like
the articles nearby, possible struggle by the guest prior to
death, before sealing the room.
8) Makes an inventory of all documents of the guest from
the front office and all other outlets of the hotel for the
sake of evidence, billing and address location and take
custody of such documents.
9) Police while preparing the Inquest PANCHNAMA checks
for any note, unusual signs in the room, and if required
photographs from different angles for evidence and later shift
the body to any government hospital for post mortem (incase
of unnatural death).
10) If police doesn’t suspect any foul play in the death and
the next of kin doesn’t want the post mortem to be carried
out, body may be handed over by the police to the next of kin
of the deceased.
 If the police suspect any foul play, a post mortem will be
carried out even if the guest’s next of kin doesn’t demand
for a post mortem.
 If next of kin is not available / no body has claimed the
body, a post mortem will be carried out (incase of
unnatural death) and the body stored in mortuary till
some one claims for the body. All the certificates (death
certificate, Hospital clearance paper, Police clearance
paper from the police station where death has taken place)
should be obtained.
 If the body has to be transported within the country on
road then the police clearance (NOC) has to be obtained
from the jurisdiction where death has taken place and
all certificates to be carried while transporting.
 If the body has to be transported by air, the body has to
be embalmed by the authorized agencies and an
embalming certificate to be obtained. After embalming,
the body is sealed in a coffin for which an authorized
coffin maker’s certificate is also obtained. All the above
certificates are produced to the Air Cargo officials and
an “Instruction for dispatch of Goods” Form filled and
submitted to the air cargo office for transportation of the
body by air.
 If the deceased is a foreign national, a special
permission has to be obtained from the Commissioner’s
Office (DCP Intelligence) apart from the jurisdiction
NOTE 1: All above actions are taken very discretely and
quickly without raising any alarm to either Guests or staff.
As far as possible the deceased body should be moved out
of the hotel through the service area.

NOTE 2: Checklist for the security officer before

transportation of body.

• Doctor’s death certificate.

• Post mortem Report.
• Police Clearance certificate.
• Coffin maker’s certificate.
• Instruction for dispatch of Goods Form at Air
Cargo office.
• In case of foreign national, special permission from
the commissioner of police.
• Embalming certificate.