July 31, 2017
When it comes to providing instruction on safe work practices, it’s important to get it right: ensuring we provide information that’s clear and straightforward — with little room for ambiguity.
That’s why we’ve decided to revisit an article we ran in the last issue of WorkSafe Magazine on a new video demonstrating safe work practices for hotel room attendants.
In the photo that accompanied the article, we show a room attendant kneeling on the ground to make a bed. The caption suggests this demonstrates “how to safely prepare a hotel bed.” But, it’s important to note that WorkSafeBC senior ergonomist Peter Goyert advocates only using a full-kneeling posture sparingly.
Instead, he says, room attendants should favour a half-kneel (one knee up, one knee down) to stay balanced and avoid injury.
“You should also avoid moving around the bed on both knees while you’re making it,” he says. “Striving to stay in a half-kneel position as much as possible is the way to reduce pressure on your knees.”
In limited circumstances, when attendants must place both knees on the floor, they should rest them on supports, such as knee pads or a folded towel that provide cushioning. “This is okay for short periods of time,” he says.
For detailed instructions on how to safely conduct a variety of hotel room attendant tasks, including bed-making, look for the new room attendant video under the Publications tab at worksafebc.com or go directly to Room Attendant Safety Video Series.
go2HR is BC’s tourism & hospitality, human resources and health & safety association driving strong workforces and safe workplaces that deliver world class tourism and hospitality experiences in BC. Follow us on LinkedIn or reach out to our team.
