A GOOD FOOTING ON SAFETY

HOTELS & MOTELS

SPECIAL REPORT FOR HOTELS & MOTELS

How to reduce slip/fall accidents on hard mineral surfaces at hotels and motels. These include ceramic, porcelain and quarry tile and concrete.

THE PROBLEM

If you’re in the hospitality industry, then you know slip/fall accidents are a huge problem. In addition to serious injuries requiring hospitalization, slip/fall accident expenses are off the charts. Almost 12 million people experience a slip/fall accident each year in the United States and are injured seriously enough to be hospitalized. According to the National Safety Council, slip/fall accidents are the leading cause of injury related emergency room visits. They are the second leading cause of accidental deaths after automobile accidents.

IMPACT

How do these figures impact the hospitality industry? They represent more than 40% of the costs for guest accidents at hotels and things are not going to get better. The age of the U.S. population is rapidly increasing. Travelers over 50 years old purchase over 80% of all luxury travel. As the market age continues to increase, the liability risk will also increase. Paying close attention to premises conditions can result in decreased claims and promote and retain customer goodwill.

THE PLAN

Develop a slip/fall accident control policy.

Analyze losses to pinpoint troublesome areas. According to loss information, hard surface floors and walkways account for 33% of hotel and motel slip/fall accidents. Bathtubs & showers account for 6% and swimming pools account for 4%.

Once you have discovered your top 5 most dangerous areas, develop a plan to increase the safety of each of these areas.

Maintain good housekeeping practices. Be sure that cleaning materials are completely removed after cleaning. Residual cleaning material, when mixed with water, creates a very slippery surface.