How to manage Health & Safety in Tourism

This course will help you to understand structures and processes that ensure the health and safety of all employees in a company. You will explore the different hazards in the workplace you work in. You will get a better understanding what the terms “health and safety” mean in the context of tourism and hospitality and which occupational, human and environmental factors can affect your health and safety at work and that of your colleagues.

Who is this course for? 

The course is intended for anyone working in the tourism and hospitality sector and anyone interested in the topic. 

What will you learn? 

• You will learn about the principles of health and safety in tourism and hospitality 
• You will understand the occupational, human and environmental factors that can affect your health and safety at work 
• You will get information on clear responsibilities and roles in the process of health and safety
• You will learn about the importance of regular training sessions and the supervision of employees

Keywords: Sustainability, tourism, management, health management, safety management

What are Health & Safety measures?

In this section you will learn about the principles of health and safety in tourism and hospitality and understand the occupational, human and environmental factors that can affect your health and safety at work. It will take you around 30 minutes to complete the section.

Lesson 1: What is Health & Safety?

Description:

Hey Fiona, this door could hit somebody. Please don’t kick it, okay?

Brian don’t forget to use a safety guard. All right.

Whoa, Bruce, that’s too many plates. You’re going to hurt your back. Take less. Much better.

Working safely takes more than just relying on common sense and telling your employees to be safe. Begin by giving new employees an orientation before they begin work. Go over their duties, who they should go to for questions and where to go for first aid.

You need to get your right hand under the tray. Find the balance point…right. Secure it with your left hand, okay? Bend your knees, use your legs. That way you won’t strain your back, all right? Do you want to give it a try? Excellent.

Train your employees for each specific task. Show them how to perform the task, and then have them demonstrate it back to you. Great. Good job Fiona.

Besides training, supervision is important to ensure a safe working environment.

Hey, Brian, here are some kitchen towels. Keep them close to you, okay? Right.

I always check on my staff frequently in the beginning, especially new workers. If I see any of my employees doing something wrong, I always correct them on the spot.

Hey, Bruce, always unplug the slicer before you clean it. And that applies to all electrical kitchen appliances. All right. Thanks.

Don’t rely on common sense because common sense means different things to different people. Training and supervision are the keys to a safer and more productive workplace. We want to create a safe working environment for all our staff.

 

That was pretty impressive, what Liliane, the manager, showed in the film. She demonstrated how health and safety measures can be implemented through the right courses of action. Let’s dive deeper into the topic.

o, what is health in this context?

Health is a physical and mental state of wellbeing, with the absence of illness or disease.

…and safety?

Simply put, safety is the absence of risks. 

A hazard is anything that may cause harm e.g. chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer of knives. 

Let’s think about health & safety in the home first. Growing up you had different people in your life who tried to make sure that your day-to-day activities were free from hazards. People like relatives, doctors, nurses and teachers try their best to keep you safe and away from hazards in the home, at school and at play. 

But once you leave home to start your work, the responsibility for health and safety lies with you. And if you are supervising a team, then their health and safety become your responsibility as well. 

It is really important to consider the factors that can affect your health and safety at work and that of your colleagues.

Factors that can affect Health & Safety at work

OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS

• Chemicals
• Equipment
• Cooking processes – like grills, steaming, deep-fat frying
• Food – like flour, yeast, oil

HUMAN FACTORS

• Carelessness
• Inexperience
• Lack of training
• Physical/mental stress
• Overloaded with work

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

• Carelessness
• Inexperience
• Lack of training
• Physical/mental stress
• Overloaded with work

It is important to be able to identify and explain the different factors affecting Health and Safety at work, especially when it comes to implementing a procedure or training other members of your team.

Chef Moussa has a lot on his mind.

A day off would do me good

I have worked 7 straight shifts and I am exhausted.  I have not seen my family for days…

Time to recover from stressful everyday life is important.

There is too much to do

I have to watch the boiling water today – my other chef burned himself last week when he did not lift the pot properly.

Saucepans of boiling water and deep fat fryers need careful managing yet so many people who work in kitchens have not been trained to use them correctly.

My cooker is broken

I really need to get my Cooker fixed.

Broken or worn out equipment can be very dangerous and stressful to use.

The floor must be cleaned

The floor is very slippery. It really needs to be cleaned.

Greasy, dirty and slippery floors are one of the top causes of accidents in the kitchen.

I am so tired

I am so tired. I really need to take a break right now.

Inexperience, pressure to finish and tiredness are the main reasons that so many people who work in kitchens have serious injuries with knives and sharp objects.

The bins are full

The bin is already quite full. It needs to be emptied right away.

Dirty, overflowing bins with no lids attract vermin and insects that carry disease.

There is no soap

The soap is almost empty. I must remember to refill it.

Not providing soap and hand towels is dangerous to employees and customers as dirty hands transmit bacteria and viruses such as COVID-19.

There is not enough light

I cannot see what I am doing at the corner cooker. I have to remind the manager to replace the bulbs.

Poor lighting in my kitchen causes so many accidents. 

The fan needs to be fixed

I really need to check with the manager again when the maintenance company is coming.

Extractor fans that are dirty or clogged cause bad air and high temperatures in a kitchen.

Try to identify the above factors as Occupational, Human or Environmental.

Lesson 2: Why do you need Health & Safety procedures in your workplace?

Now that you can explain health and safety and know some of the factors or things that affect it, you are ready to look at why you need health and safety procedures in our workplace. Take a look at the following film.

Wow, did you see that? The guest was served his breakfast in just 15 minutes. That was fast, but is speed always safe? The hospitality and tourism workplace is a very fast environment to work in.

Think about it.

One minute I’m checking reservations, the next I’m helping serve food because we’re short-staffed that night.

Liliane | Hotel Manager

All in all, the industry you work in requires you to provide products and services to guests and customers. So speed of delivery is important.  

Guests don’t like to wait, do they? However, all this speed, stress and running around means that your workplace is often full of hazards.

A workplace full of hazards: With the high number of employees, many with little training, no wonder there are accidents like slips, trips and falls, exposure to hazardous substances and cutting oneself.

Safeguarding yourself, your team and your customers against potential accidents/hazards is not only an employee responsibility – as a business manager or owner, it is your duty. 

Health and Safety means that your workplace must follow health and safety instructions and not put colleagues/employees and customers at risk.

How to manage Health & Safety

In this section you will get information on clear responsibilities and roles in the process of health and safety and learn about the importance of regular training sessions and the supervision of employees. It will take you around 30 minutes to complete the section.

Lesson 1: Health and Safety procedures in your workplace

Let’s look at some of the benefits of health and safety procedures to help you understand why it is so important to have them in your workplace.

Health and safety procedures

• Reduce accidents, stress, bad performance and illness for everyone
• Demonstrate the business owner cares for employees’ wellbeing
• Preserve and promote a good company reputation
• Prevent legal action
• Improve costs by reducing absenteeism and sick pay

As we said before, the hospitality and tourism industry is very fast-paced and full of very active employees, many of whom are young people who are in their first job. Jobs in the industry vary greatly – food and beverage, housekeeping, front office, restaurant, tour operator, guide –all of these jobs are physically demanding, requiring different tools, equipment and environments.

Some of the jobs in the Hospitality and Tourism industry:

• Barista
• Head Chef
• Tour Guide
• Hotel owner
• Waitress
• House Keeper

Reasons for clear health and safety procedures 

Inexperience

Many young workers are inexperienced in the workplace so they need to know the ‘Dos’ and Don’ts’ for their health and safety and the health and safety of their colleagues. Some employees might be too shy to ask questions or feel incompetent if they ask for help.

A feeling of invincibility

Many managers or supervisors feel they are ‘invincible’ and procedures do not apply to them.

Legal Duty

Business owners have a legal duty to protect their employees by providing clear health and safety rules and regulations.

Reputation

Businesses will have a more attractive reputation as an employer if they look after the wellbeing of their staff.

Prevention

Health and safety procedures help to prevent some of the most common injuries/illness to workers such as:

• Incidents involving hand-held tools, knives, hot liquids and objects, machines and other equipment, heat/cold stress, scalds, burns
• Slips, trips and falls, overexertion 
• Stress, bullying and overwork

Can you think of other reasons why we need health and safety in the workplace?  What other benefits can you think of?

Of course there will be those who still do not either provide health and safety guidelines or follow them. Those employers and employees who do not have or ignore health and safety procedures often face the following consequences:

Business owners

• Verbal or written advice warnings from local authorities
• Improvement notices from government agencies
• Prohibition notices from local authorities
• Prosecution resulting in fines or imprisonment

Employees

• Verbal or written warnings from management
• Loss of employment
• Prosecution from management or local authorities

Your turn

Safety procedures are needed because: True or False

• Employees may be shy and embarrassed to clarify when in doubt
• The company has extra resources for safety anyway
• It’s the duty of employees to protect themselves even without experience
• New employees are unfamiliar with the work environment
• New employees often enjoy the procedures
• Young and strong employees think they can handle everything

Use these helpful flashcards to explain to your team why health and safety procedures are needed in your workplace. Make your own set and share with your team during training.

Employees may be shy and embarrassed to ask or clarify health and safety questions when in doubt because..?  Many people, especially young people are afraid of being judged so they keep quite

New employees are unfamiliar with the work environment because..?

Often in a new environment there are so many things to learn and to discover it can all be too much to learn

Young and strong employees think they can handle everything because..?

They may think that being young and strong is enough when in fact they still have many things that they need to learn and they must take care of their health and safety like everyone else

Understanding why you need health and safety procedures in your business comes from recognising their benefits while at the same time being fully aware of the consequences of non-compliance. This will help you assign the right people to the right health and safety responsibility.

Lesson 2: Who is responsible for Health & Safety practice in your workplace?

You may agree that Health and Safety in the workplace is a shared responsibility – everyone in your team has a role to play in keeping the workplace and employees safe and well. But who is responsible for what role in the process must be defined so that everyone knows what they have a responsibility to do.

Employers/Business Owners

have a responsibility to:

• Ensure the health and safety of employees
  • Ensure that all workplace equipment is up to standard
  • Correct any workplace conditions that are hazardous to employees
  • Provide and maintain the correct protective equipment and clothing
  • Keep employees up to date about hazards and ensure that all employees receive health and safety training and supervision

Supervisors and Line Managers

have a responsibility to:

• Ensure the health and safety of employees under your direct supervision
  • Make sure that staff under you supervision are informed about all workplace hazards
  • Ensure that the correct safegard are used when required and that your staff follow their training

Staff

have a responsibility to:

• Take reasonable care to protect their health and safety and that of their colleagues and customers
  • Follow the safe work procedures
  • Use correct protective equipment
  • Do not show up to work sick, drunk, drugged, hungover or on heavy medication
  • Report accidents, near misses, falls or incidents to the supervisor

It is not enough to adopt the best health and safety procedures for your workplace. Assigning the right person to oversee these procedures is crucial in their successful implementation. Recruiting the wrong person for the job could ultimately mean these procedures fail.

Liliane stops Fiona to tell her not to kick the door open. Why?

Because she must go and serve a table immediately

Because she could drop her tray

Because the door could hit somebody

Liliane draws Brian’s attention to something. To what?

He was late for work

She tells him to always put the guard on the mixer – she wants him to work safe

He should be helping Fiona

Liliane rushes to Bruce to stop him lifting plates. Why?

She is afraid he will hurt his back

She is afraid he will break them

She wants him to prioritise washing saucepans

Liliane stops Bruce from cleaning the meat slicer. Why?

She’s is in a bad mood and does not like Bruce

She is correcting his mistake – he should have turned off the equipment and unplugged it from the wall before cleaning. She is also making sure that when she sees someone doing something wrong she corrects them

She thinks Bruce should be chopping vegetables

Health & Safety should not rely on common sense and just telling employees what to do. You need to show them and then supervise them.

Working safely relies on more than common sense and just telling your employees to be safe.

Give new employees an orientation BEFORE they start work. Allow employees to ask as many questions as they want. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

During training show employees how to perform the task and then get them to do it.

Regularly check on your employees to see how they are doing. Check on new staff frequently.

Use this checklist to ensure you are performing your health & safety duties

• During the orientation go over general information such as employees duties, who they should go to for questions, their rights and responsibilities and where to go for first aid.

• Train your employees for the specific task they will be doing. Show them what to do and then get them to demonstrate to you.

• Supervise your employees regularly to make sure they are performing their tasks properly, efficiently and safely. Always say something positive and gently but firmly correct behavior if not to standard. If you see your employees doing something wrong – correct them immediately.

 

Lesson 3: How to implement workplace Health & Safety

You should take special care to ensure that employees receive the right training and supervision before they start to work or begin a new task. This is especially true for young workers.

Their inexperience may not help them ask the right questions or be fully aware of hazards. It is important that you provide clear health and safety procedures and a training environment where your team is encouraged to ask questions and discuss health and safety topics.

Finally…

One training session is not enough.  Health & safety training should happen regularly to ensure a safe environment.

How can you ensure ongoing health and safety training?

Observe

Observe workplace activities to ensure safe practices are being followed.

Reward

Reward positive behaviour when procedures are followed.

Correct

Correct unsafe behaviour.

Hold employees accountable

Hold employees accountable if standards fall.

Reinforce

Reinforce practices by example.

Inform

For each job or task inform your staff/colleagues – even when they seem obvious.

Point out

Point out potential hazards and discuss.

Discuss

Discuss past accidents and near misses and ask employees how they would prevent them.

Explain

Explain that all employees are responsible when they see a hazard – like a spill or an electrical fault.

Now that you have successfully completed this unit, you are well prepared to manage health and safety in your business.