Housekeeping Operation- For DHM 2nd Semester

 The local fire department is required to check and pass these periodically and may also assist in training employees in fire procedures.  All personnel should be well acquainted with the position of fire alarms, location of exits, extinguishers and alarms throughout the hotel.  They should be trained in the use of appropriate extinguishers. The time to start reading directions is not during the fire!  Guests may be informed at check-in that all rooms are equipped with smoke detectors, that the nearest fire exit from any room is four doors to the right of the room; that a fire extinguisher is located next to the elevator on each floor; that a fire can be reported by dialing “0” for the hotel operator and so on. The guest will appreciate that the hotel cares about their well-being.  Guests may also be encouraged to read the fire evacuation guidelines posted on the door of the guestroom.Fighting fire:To start and spread, a fire needs fuel and oxygen. If you exclude one of these elements, the firecan be restricted and extinguished.F = FindI = InformR = RestrictE = ExtinguishThe above anagram is useful to remember when dealing with a fire on the premises. However,preventive steps must be taken to prevent the occurrence of a fire in the first place.The following are some means of prevention of fire employed by hotels:  Water sprinklers: is a system of pipes built into the building and connected to the main water supply. The sprinklers are located at regular intervals. When the temperature rises above a predetermined ‘safe’ level in an area, the connection to the water supply melts, causing the water to sprinkle and bring the temperature down, thus helping in the initial control of fire.  Smoke alarms or detectors: these are also situated in the ceilings of rooms, corridors and all public and back of the house areas at intervals. As soon as they detect a great amount of smoke in the air, it gives off an alarm at a central location-front office, telephones or maintenance dept...  Manual Alarms: are situated at regular intervals in various locations on the premises. They are set off individually by the person discovering the fire. It is also linked to a central indicator which will show the location of that alarm ensuring quick action form the management. It may also be linked to the local fire station.  Fire escape routes: a safe means of escape will be required from each floor and every part of the building. This includes installation of fire escapes, and escape doors (fire resistant). 90

 Fire doors: these are fitted to rooms and fire exits routes. These doors are treated to resist fire for different periods-for half hour, one hour, etc. The fire exit doors to escape routes should be self-closing and should never be locked. These should be boldly indicated.  Escape drills: an organised procedure must exist in the event of a fire. It should be known to all staff and mock drills should be held periodically. This helps control panic and helps save lives.  Emergency lighting: this must be provided on a line independent of the main supply. All exit signs should also be linked to this so that these work even in the absence of the main power source. These signs should be illuminated during the day as well as at night-24 hours.In the event of fire staff training should include: a) Procedure in the event of a fire b) The location of exits and escape routes c) The location and use of fire extinguishersProcedure in case of fire :In case of an actual fire breaking out, staff should be trained to follow this procedure:  Activate the alarm  Inform the telephone dept/maintenance dept./security dept. as instructed giving a quick and accurate description of the location and extent of fire. They will inform the fire brigade  Vacate the building aiming for the ground floor, using an appropriate route, closing all doors and windows near you or the affected area as you leave. ( If in an elevator, stop the elevator and lock it so no one else can use it and reach the fire exit route)  Tackle the fire if no person al risk is involvedOther things to do:  If no personal risk is felt, one can ascertain the extent and seriousness of the fire by feeling the door, etc.  Also, if it is safe for you, the guest can also be evacuated into the corridor and guestroom doors should be closed to contain the fire.  It is important that staff in contact or dealing directly with guests and other employees in this situation should keep their calm and not create mass hysteria.  Remember that smoke created by a fire is a greater killer than the direct flames of the fire. So adequate instructions should be given to guests to protect them while following the needful procedure yourself-covering the nose with a wet cloth and crawling on the floor towards the exit as smoke tends to be at a higher level, etc.  Switch off all exhaust fans, etc. if any present around you as in kitchens. 91

 Do not break windows, these let in more air and oxygen to fan the fire and the broken glass can hurt people below  Do not jump out of windows of higher floors.  Help children, elderly people and physically challenged persons out of the building.  Take a guest count and employee head count to know the number and names of missing persons.  After the fire, open and check every room for anyone trapped inside and take an account of the loss of property8.4. First aidIt is important for all housekeeping personnel to know about first aid as they could be the first oneson the spot to give immediate attention to a guest or an employee. It is a part of the overall SafetyProgramme.The first step is to have a first aid cupboard or box in all the departments.The cupboard should contain the following items:  Clinical thermometer  Cotton wool  Bandage roll  Band aids  Sterilized gauze  Rubber sheeting  Tincture iodine  Dettol  Burn-ol  Croc in tablets  Aspirins  Mercurochrome  Antiseptic cream8.5. Crime preventionHotel is a service industry. Good service includes security. A hotel with the best service but poorsecurity would expose guests to crime risks and compromise reputation and goodwill. Singaporehas an excellent reputation among tourists of being secure and safe. Hoteliers are responsible forthe protection of property and well-being of their guests. We should not lower our guard againstcrime or be lulled into complacency that crime is under control.Crime Prevention Concept 92

A crime can occur in any place at anytime to anyone when the elements of opportunity, target andoffender coincide. Hotels have to assess the risks and place a comprehensive security system inplace. Security is an essential investment and not an optional expenditure.Crime Prevention Advice for HotelsCrimes can and do occur in both public and non-public areas. The risk of crime in both places mustbe assessed and preventive measures taken. As crime risks against person and property in non-public areas like guests rooms and corridors are higher, security measures need to be enhanced tocommensurate with the risks.Control of non-public areas  Guests rooms located at quiet, isolated corners and near staircases or lifts are particularly vulnerable. Staircase exits should be installed with panic-bar bolt doors for one way exit only. The doors should also be installed with camera and alarm systems to monitor abuse.  Lift doors exiting into non-public areas and corridors leading to guest rooms should be installed with close-circuit cameras to monitor any unauthorised/suspicious visitors.  There should be an appropriate ratio of cameras and monitor screens for constant monitoring of entry control points into non-public areas, and swift detection of any unauthorised/suspicious visitors into these areas. These security equipment should be regularly maintained for maximum effectiveness and to produce good results. Recording tapes should be replaced regularly to produce good and sharp images.  Any detection of unauthorised/suspicious visitors in non-public areas should be communicated forthwith to patrolling security staff who should respond immediately to confront and challenge the intruder. This would not only impress the guests but also dissuade trespassers too.  To keep in check, unauthorised visitors into non-public areas, an access control system must be managed in areas such as staircases, escalators, entrances and exits leading to corridors and guest rooms. Adequate patrolling security staff and surveillance facilities should be placed in these areas.  There should be a separate lifts to serve guests to public areas and guest rooms respectively. Lifts to public areas should be rendered inaccessible to non-public areas, and vice versa.  Newly-arrived guests are unfamiliar with the surroundings, the staff and hotel routines. A short briefing on security tips should be given to them when they check-in. The briefing should include tips like: o how to identify hotel staff in uniform; o not to leave room doors unlocked; o not to open room doors to callers who are not in hotel staff uniform; o to move about in groups while leaving room for meals and outings; o to keep valuables in room safe or hotel safe deposit boxes.  Group tourists should also be allocated rooms together in groups in the same levels so that security staff can monitor the move to occupy the rooms.Staff Identification 93

Staff, especially those who are in direct contact with guests, should be in uniform and wear securitypasses with photograph and identification. Such prominent identification will facilitate familiaritywith guests and enhance security and service.Control of identification passesControl of security passes is essential. Passes should be retrieved from staff who haved ceased tobe employed by the hotel. Passes should also be renewed annually for accountability and preventabuse.Key security and control  The easiest way to enter any room is through the door. It is essential to strengthen security of doors with solid timber and quality locking systems. Guest room doors should be installed with computerised electronic card key locking system for enhanced security.  Guest room doors should be installed with computerised electronic card key locking system for enhanced security. Such a system would record identity of user, date and time of usage, and control time of usage.  Master keys should be kept by the Manager. The keys should always be accounted for. Any loss, even temporary, must be reported to security management immediately. If a master key is damaged, it should be destroyed, witnessed by the management. Only an authorised locksmith or the manufacturer of the locks should be permitted to make duplicate keys.  Front desk staff handing out the room keys should verify the name and address of the guest before issuing the keys. In this regard, hotels should issue a form of identification to their guests to facilitate transactions.  Keys kept at the front desk should not be left unattended or accessible to anyone reaching over the desk. Keys left by guests intended for the drop box should be dropped into the box, which should be deep enough to prevent keys from being retrieved by unauthorised persons.  Staff using master keys in the course of their work should attached them firmly to a key strap worn around their person. They should not be hung on a service or cleaning cart, or left unattended in the room while the staff is cleaning it.  Keys not in use should be kept in a secure location and distributed only by authorised staff who must keep a record of movements of every key.Other essential security measures  Doors should be fitted with high security locks with dead-locking features. Moreover, a door viewer should be installed to provide an unobstructed view of 180 degrees for guests to check on callers.  Security door latches would allow occupants to communicate and identify visitors without opening the door completely. All door locks should also be maintained and changed at least once in 2 years to maintain effectiveness. Locks are to be replaced or cylinders changed whenever corresponding keys are lost.Protection and custody of guest's property 94

 Guests should be encouraged to store valuables in room safes or safe deposit boxes in the hotel, which must never be left unlocked and unattended.  The safe deposit room should be installed with cameras to record transactions and alarm systems against unauthorised entries.  All security systems must be reviewed regularly by professionals and upgraded as well. This is to counter the challenge of changing crime trends and risks and be a step ahead of potential criminals. Once an effective security system is established, the staff can work with confidence and the guests can enjoy their stay in the hotel, reassured that the risk of crime occurring to them is minimised.8.6. Dealing with emergenciesHandling difficult situation in hotel or restaurant is a gigantic task indeed. Almighty forbid, thereis an accident or an emergency situation in your hotel, but, still anything can take a turn. So, tohandle an accident or emergency situation in hotel or restaurant or resort you must have pre-cautionary arrangement or some policy and I believe in every big hotel, there are house rules toface all kinds of situation.Now, whatever the situation you face, it has to be handled with your intelligence and in accordancewith house rules.  Fire: Don’t panic! As soon as the fire is noticed-just inform the telephone operator first. The telephone operator has to call the nearest fire brigade station and every station of the hotel. In smaller hotels the receptionist does the job of telephone operator. So he will do the same thing. This emergency paging system can be used for announcing the situation. The trained personnel of the hotel will start fighting with fire extinguishers and with all other arrangements at service. Every guest and all other personnel have to come out through the emergency exit or the normal way if it is safe. No one should use the elevator. Everyone has to come out by stair cases. The hotel rescue team (security department and the managers, supervisors) should research all the rooms including bathroom to make sure that no guest is left behind. The front office and other management should look after the whole property so that the miscreants could not do any harm.  Death: In the event of death of a guest, the front office should inform the general manager, chief security officer and the hotel doctor. This is not an alarming matter-no other guests need to be informed about it. If necessary the general manager can call the police. The dead body must be removed through the staff entrance and room should be sealed till the police formalities are done. As per the guest registration card address or information the concerned personnel are to be contracted to hand over the body.  Accidents: In case of any injury or fracture received by a guest or staff, the house doctor should be called immediately informing him of the nature of accident and the condition of the patient. But until the doctors arrive, the first aid treatment should give to stop bleeding, clean the injured area by savlon, Dettol, iodine or just aftershave lotion—whatever appropriate medicine is available in your hand. If a fracture is suspected the patient should be moved till the doctor comes, everything should be done according to his suggestion. For more tips read how to handle accidents in hotel or restaurant. 95

 Damage by guest: If anything is broken or damaged by a hotel guest then a damage report has to be prepared by the concerned department. As per the damage report the shift duty manager has to determine an amount (more than cost price) and instruct the front office cashier to charge the amount to guest’s account.  Drunk guest: The shift duty manager has to handle the guest—better not to argue with the guest at all. The guest must be politely taken away from the bar/ public area to the office or to his room. If he is quite imbalanced or behaves very badly then the matter should be handled by the security officer.  Theft: If any loss and damage slip comes from housekeeping department saying that a certain article is missing from a certain guest’s room that means the guest has taken the item from his room without informing anybody then the value of the item has to be charged on concerned guest folio. By doing this you are serving two purposes one is, you are getting the value of the item back and also the guest is being informed of his misdeed. The thing is to be handled by the shift duty manager. But before doing that, you must make sure whether the guest has done it or not. Sometimes it is also found that, guest items are being stolen by the hotel employees. In such cases all the security point has to be informed specially the staff in-coming and out-going area and staffs should be checked physically while going out. If it is established after proper investigation that the money has been stolen by the hotel staff then it should be compensated by the hotel for the greater interest of the hotel’s future business. But while checking-in the guest should be informed by the receptionist that valuables should be kept in safe deposits box at the cashier counter.The following precautions measures can be taken to protect thefts:  Safe deposit box for guest’s valuables.  Self-locking room doors.  Keeping an eye on walk-in guest and light baggage guest.  Not to let any unrecognized person or the telephone caller know the guest room number unless he/she tells the guest’s name.  Reception, while giving the room key to the guest, must make sure that he/she is giving the right key to the right person.  Strictly controlling the grand master key. For the slept out guest, the room should be double locked with security officer. Only after guest’s arrival, the room should be opened by the shift duty manager.  Posting of security personnel at all possible corner and all the floors.  All the areas should be well lighted.  Report to security about any suspicious persons.8.7. Guest and employee theftsGuest TheftGuest takes hotel items as souvenirs. The hotel may not mind things like soaps and stationary aretaken as the hotel may build such costs into the room rate. But items as towels and bathrobes area serious concern because of their cost to replace them. 96

Housekeeping personnel take the following precaution: 1. Key Control: Limited access to guest rooms. 2. Suspicious Movements: Housekeeping personnel are trained to observe suspicious movements and report to security. 3. Departure Procedure: Train bellboys to give a quick glance at the room and bathroom before they remove guest baggage. 4. Standard Issues to Guest rooms: The ability to detect missing items is made possible by equipping rooms with standard number of items. 5. Entry/Exit point: A guest room has only one entry/exit door. Windows are secure. Room doors are provided with peepholes.Employee Theft:As in the case of the guest, employees find that most of the items are useful at home. A hotelreduces pilferage by adopting the following precaution.  Gate Pass: An employee is required to possess a gate pass, issued and authorized by the head of the department whenever a hotel property is removed from the hotel.  Spot Check: Security personnel conduct spot checks, of employee’s handbags at random to ensure that unauthorized items are not being taken out of the hotel. Staff lockers are checked periodically. Uniforms are not permitted outside the property.  Limited Access: Employees have limited access to areas of the hotel. For example the engineering personnel can enter the room along with a room attendant; a cook cannot go up on the floor. Every department has specific uniform, and designated areas of work that limits them to their area of work. Only certain personnel are expected to go up to the guest floors. Another aspect of limited access is the authority to enter stores. The storekeeper and the helpers are permitted to enter the stores and are accountable for items received and issued.  Par Stocks: Room attendants have par stocks of items on their maid cart that have to be accounted for. Similarly, guest rooms have par stocks, where the room attendants are accountable for a set of rooms and they have to ensure the par stocks are maintained.8.8. Sickness/illness and deathGuest Illness:  When a guest or staff does not feel well, the housekeeper should be informed.  She may visit the guest/staff, enquiring of his welfare and seeing what needs to be done towards their treatment. It also reassures the patient.  The front office should a lso be informed so that they too can follow up on the condition of the guest from time to time.  If the hotel doctor feels that the patient should be moved to hospital the guest is advised so, and if he agrees, then he is moved to a hospital-maybe of his choice.  The guest is required to pay for the hospitalization expenses.  The front office must maintain a list of specialist doctors along with their phone numbers and addresses. If the guest desires, they may be contacted and the guest pays for their services. The services of the hotel doctor may not be charged for. 97

 In case of a notifiable or communicable disease, the doctor will advise removing the person to a hospital.  In this case the room may have to be fumigated and thoroughly cleansed and proper clearance and authorisation will be required from the housekeeping, maintenance and the FOM before the room is released for new guests.  Also, the relatives of the patient will have to be informed by front office.Death of guest:  In case of death of a person on the premises, the lobby manager and security should immediately be informed, usually by the housekeeping.  The FOM or Resident Manager and the GM must be informed. The hotel doctor would be required to confirm the death.  The room’s air conditioning or central heating would be switched off and the room sealed to prevent entry of unauthorized personnel.  The hotel will locate the residential address of the guest and inform his relatives, etc. a death certificate should be taken from the doctor.  In all circumstances, especially doubtful circumstances, the police will need to be called for further investigations.  When allowed by the doctor or police, the body will be removed.  To avoid needless unpleasantness from spreading amongst the guests the body is removed through the service elevator and back-of-the-house.  Staff should be instructed not to gossip needlessly with other employees or guests.  An incident report should be prepared covering the details of the occurrence of death-time, room number, steps taken, etc.  In case there is luggage and other belongings of the guest, these should be collected, a list prepared and the items placed in the luggage room with a note and the signature of the person performing this activity must be recorded as well. The incident report should be submitted to the management. 98

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