Hotel Housekeeping in California: How to Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries
Course Description:
Sprains, strains, and other injuries to tendons, muscles, and other soft tissues affect nearly 5% of the almost 100,00 housekeepers in California’s hospitality industry. Training workers to prevent these injuries will reduce injury claims and keep them healthy and productive.
This course teaches California housekeepers and other housekeeping workers in hotels and other lodging establishments such as motels, resorts, and bed and breakfast inns how to control the risk of musculoskeletal injuries at work.
By the time the session is over you will be able to recognize the signs, symptoms, and risks related to musculoskeletal injuries, identify the elements of the musculoskeletal injury prevention program, identify hazards and how they are controlled, recognize appropriate body postures, safe practices, and cleaning tools and equipment to prevent injuries, and report musculoskeletal symptoms and injuries without fear of retaliation.
Why “Hotel Housekeeping in California: How to Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries” Matters:
• Housekeepers, maids, and other room cleaners are three times more likely suffer a musculoskeletal injury than most other occupations.
• Musculoskeletal injuries include acute or cumulative trauma of a muscle, tendon, ligament, bursa, peripheral nerve, joint, bone, spinal disc, or blood vessel.
• California law requires all lodging establishments that hire housekeeping workers, including hotels, motels, resorts, and bed and breakfast inns, to establish safe work practices and equipment to protect workers from musculoskeletal injuries.
• There has been a steady increase in worker’s compensation injury claims by hotel housekeeping workers for musculoskeletal injuries and disorders in California, with more than 4,000 claims in a recent year.
Key Points:
• Causes of a musculoskeletal injury include a slip or fall, repetitive motions, forceful exertions from pushing or pulling, excessive pressure, and static or awkward positions.
• As your supervisor for a copy of the MIPP that describes a system of safe work practices and use the task-appropriate housekeeping tools or equipment.
• Take corrective action to minimize risk factors for musculoskeletal injury, such as bend at the knees and keep your back straight instead of bending at the waist when lifting.
• Use the right tools to help you safely perform hazardous tasks, such as a scrubber with extendable handles to prevent overreaching, and a strap-dolly or slider to move furniture.
• Immediately report to your supervisor all signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal injuries and unsafe work practices and equipment to your manager or supervisor.
