UNIT 6 ERGONOMICS (4TH SEM)

GLOSSARY

Ergonomics: It is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs): these are injuries or pain in the human musculoskeletal system, including the joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons, and structures that support limbs, neck and back

Word ergonomics was derived from the Greek words ‘Ergon’ meaning work and ‘nomoi’ meaning natural laws. Thus, ergonomics can be simply defined as the how workplace and equipment can be best used and designed for comfort, safety, efficiency and productivity.

Ergonomics aims to create safe, comfortable and productive workspace by bringing human abilities and limitations into the design of the room, including the individual’s body size, strength, sensory abilities (vision, hearing), and even attitudes.

Ergonomics principles

1.      Work in neutral postures

·       Proper posture maintenance is necessary

·       Working too long with “C” curve can cause strain

·       Keeping the proper alignment of neck hands wrist are also necessary

2.      Reduce excessive force

·       Excessive pressure or force at the joints can cause injury

·       Better to minimize the work that requires more physical labour

3.      Keep everything in reach

·       Keeping everything in reach would help in avoiding unneeded stretching and strain

·       More or less this principle is related with maintaining good posture.

4.      Work at proper height

·       Working at right makes things way easier

·       Sometimes height can be maintained by adding extensions or avoiding extensions on the chair or tables

5.      Reduce excessive motions

·       Repetitive motion needs to be avoided

·       This can cause disorder and numbness in long run

·       Motion scan be reduced by the use of power tools

6.      Minimize fatigue and static load

·       Fatigue is common in strenuous work

·       Having to hold things for longer period is example of static load

·       Fatigue can be reduced by the intervals and the breaks between the works.

7.      Minimize pressure points

·       One needs to be aware of pressure points

·       Almost everyone of has to sit on chairs that had cushioning, one of the pressure point is behind knees, which happens if air is too high or when you dangle your legs. Pressure point is also created in between your thigh and the bottom of a table when you sit.

·       Anti-fatigue mats or insole can be used

8.      Provide clearance

·       Work area should have enough clearance

·       Let the worker not worry about the bumps that they have to encounter on daily basis.

9.      Move, exercise and stretch

·       Move and stretch when you can

·       It better to take intervals between the works and stretch and move along

·       Stretching technique may differ and depend on the work one does

10.  Maintain a comfortable environment

·       This principle is focused on the other component of the working environment.

·       It is concerned about the lightening, space, cool air and many more.

ERGONOMICS IN HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING

Importance of ergonomics in housekeeping

a) Increases productivity

b) Reduces the cost

c) Improves the quality of the work

d) Motivate employee to reduce the absenteeism

Analysis of risk factors in housekeeping: Ergonomics perspectives

·       Awkward body postures: Ergonomics help in reducing awkward body postures or positions of the body that deviate significantly from the neutral position. This is usually accomplished with hand-tools, revised procedures, and training.

·       High force applied: Whether lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying an object, hotels should reduce the weight of objects that staff must lift and reduce the amount of force required to push or pull of objects like carts, vacuums, and cleaners. This is usually accomplished with equipment redesign, selection, and training.

·       Rest for the muscle: Hotels should reduce the time housekeeping staff spend on tasks that use the same muscle groups through work pace control and by varying the type of work they do during their shift.

Mitigation of risks in housekeeping by applying ergonomics principle

Risk factors to be identified during work environment

Factors help in reducing the risk during work environment

·       Avoiding repetitive action and modify way of lifting heavy equipment and furniture.

·       Modifying/ redesign work practices

·       Maintaining and modifying body posture and personal habits.

·       Use of cushion pads, lumbar support whiling sitting for the longer time.

·       Modifying workplace layout/ equipment

UNIT 3 RENOVATION PROCESS (4TH SEM)

GLOSSARY            

·       Renovation: It is the process to repair and improve the structure of an area or a building

·       Redecoration: It is the process to freshen or change in appearance of the area by refurbishing or by applying new paint or wall paper to area in different style and pattern

·       Refurnishing: It is the process to provide with new furnishings to the area

·       Re-modelling: remodeling works to improve upon or transform the existing design and layout of a room

·       Restoration: the process of returning the area, room or a building to its earlier good condition

Concept Renovation is the process of renewing and updating a hospitality property to offset the ravages of use and to modify spaces to meet the needs of changing markets constitutes renovation.

Reason to renovate: Hotel renovation has become much more than replacing worn out furniture and mattresses but a way to define a property improvement plan as well as the existing competition in today’s hotel industry.

It is essential to keep a hotel up to standard, fresh and technologically aligned in terms of interiors and facilities.  Being a new marketing tactic, renovation cycle peaks at three years and then it is time to do it again (where needed).

Types of Renovation

1. Minor Renovation (5 to 7 year cycle) – To replace or renew the non-durable furnishings and finishes within space, without changing the space’s use or physical layout. For instance, a minor renovation of a guestroom might include replacing carpets and wall coverings, drapery, bedspreads, minor paintwork, and touching up of the furniture finishes.

2. Major Renovation (12 to 15 year cycle) – To replace or renew all furnishings and finishes within a space and may include extensive modifications to the physical layout and utilization of the space itself. A major renovation of a guestroom might include everything described as a minor renovation, plus the replacement of furniture, bedding, lighting and accessories.

3. Restoration (25 to 50 year cycle) – Allows for a complete gutting of a space and replacing of all systems that are technically and functionally obsolete (outdated), while restoring furnishings and systems that can still be used given the current needs of the facility. It may, for instance, include wholesale replacement of kitchen and laundry facilities, interior demolition of entire guestroom floors to reconfigure the mix of rooms and / or the placement of bathrooms, the replacement of all mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and so on.

SUBSIDIARY PROCESSES IN RENOVATION

The renovation project typically comprises four sub-processes:

Refurbishing	Redecoration	Restoration	Re-modelling
freshening up of a property	Renewal of the area or property	act of returning the structure to its former condition	changing the structure or form of a room or whole building
includes cosmetic changes such as changing the draperies, upholstery and so on	renewal of paintwork, touching up of furniture and finishes, renewal of soft furnishings, and spring cleaning	Repairing holes in the walls, fixing old fixtures or replacing them with replicas of the originals, and removing old carpet and refinishing the wood floors underneath are all examples of what may be involved in a restoration project. From an environmental and life-cycle perspective, restoration generally uses fewer new resources and may require less energy to complete	, adding, or removing walls, raising ceilings, or expanding the square footage you've crossed over into re-modelling territory

Renovation process includes: 

·       Evaluate need of refurbishing

·       Calculation of time (expected completion date)

·       Budgeting/ expenditure plan

·       Thematic choice (as per their feasibility)

·       Design feasibility studies (in terms of practicality)

·       Décor preliminaries (as per their suitability)

·       Staffing budget (if needs to provide uniform, training)

·       Equipment inventory (if any equipment is to be supplied from hotel)

·       Raw materials inventory and warehousing

·       Adjusting for inconvenience to guests, staff and suppliers (arranging alternatives)

Procedural Guidelines: This procedure may also include:

·       Planning permissions

·       Fire regulations

·       Health and safety aspects

·       Licensing laws

·       Company policies

Controls: All aspects where control must be executed should be tabulated. These include: 

·       Financial control

·       Purchasing control

·       Contracts

·       Insurance

·       Inspection

·       Records

Before handover from the contractor, a detailed snag list is prepared by the housekeeping supervisor.

Points to remember:

·       For guest room redecoration process inform front office and the engineering departments

·       Remove curtains, lampshades, bed covers, linen and guest supplies from the area and store them in the floor pantry. 

·       Get telephones disconnected.

·       Disconnect and store television sets separately.

·       Upholstered furniture should be sent to the upholstery yard for shampooing or repair. 

·       Roll up and remove all carpets and send for shampooing.

·       Seal bathtubs, washbasins and other ceramic fixtures.

·       Cover remaining items of furniture and fixtures with dust sheets.

Post renovation procedures- once the renovation process is done, handover is taken by the housekeeping department after snagging the area.

HOTEL XYZ SNAG LIST Date………………       Time…………                             Prepared by……………..
S. No.	Area/ Room No.	Electrical	Masonry	Plumbing	Carpentry	House keeping	Miscellaneous

Renovation: current marketing vogue in hotels

·       Demand for sustainable, healthy, locally authentic properties,

·       Renovation of existing hotel properties to meet pent-up demand and rising consumer expectations

·       Rise of the value-oriented “select-service” category, bridging the gap between luxury and economy.

·       Redesign of hotel lobby

UNIT 8 SITUATION HANDLING (8TH SEM)

TO UNDERSTAND THE TOPIC BETTER, FIRST CHECK THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS RELATED TO THE TOPIC

1. How to handle emergency situations?

2. How to handling guest complains? 

Situation 1:

A Guest calls the housekeeping control desk and says he is attempting suicide. Deal with the situation

This situation implies that the guest is in a state of mental depression and needs counseling. The desk attendant should not panic: he / she must display presence of mind by keeping the guest engaged on the phone by constantly talking and making him / her talk back. In the meanwhile, the desk attendant should get another member of staff to alert the security department so that they can access the room and take custody of the guest.

Dealing with the situation: In a situation when someone expresses an intention to commit suicide, you should try not to get upset or embarrassed.

STEP 1: Keep yourself calm and encourage the person to explain more in detail why and how he/she intends to commit suicide. There is an apprehension that talking about suicide is a scream for help and even if it is true in that sense that the last way for someone in an intolerable situation is to commit suicide, you cannot completely trust that it is not seriously and literally meant. There are some factors that prevent people from realizing their thoughts to commit suicide. Try to communicate more, to get the person to abandon thoughts about suicide.

STEP 2:  If a person tells you about his/hers thoughts to commit suicide, it can be of help if you listen to what the person says. That can function as "the first help" for the person that is close to commit suicide. It does not matter if you feel unsure of what to say. What is important though is that the person notices that you listen and take the conversation seriously.

STEP 3: In the meanwhile, the desk attendant should get another member of staff to alert the security department so that they can access the room and take custody of the guest.

Situation 2:

A guest calls up the control desk to say that she had given a shawl for dry cleaning, mentioning the same on the laundry list. The shawl has been returned to her considerably shrunk.

Dealing with the situation:

STEP 1: The desk attendant should apologize to and try to pacify the irate guest.

STEP 2:  Then the desk attendant should inform the laundry supervisor about the situation, so that he/she can in turn apologize in person to the guest. The hotel must replace the shawl with a new one.

STEP 3: In case, the problem probably arose because the laundry attendants did not pay heed to the ‘special instructions’ column in the laundry form, in which the guest had stated the shawl needed only dry cleaning. The laundry staff must have given the shawl a normal wash. The laundry supervisor should thus ensure that the staff pay heed to the ‘special instructions’ column in the laundry form in future.

UNIT 5-TRAINING & EVALUATING SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS (8TH SEM)

The professional housekeeper’s goal is to use training, motivation and evaluation to help all staff members optimize their job performance.

The aim of training is to standardize the procedures that have been proven to work well without taking away the flexibility and motivation to find better procedures.

Evaluation is a management tool. EHK's must strive for professionalism in performance evaluations. Measuring according to objective standards is the best course. Evaluations should be private, fair and constructive.

Training

The investment in training has a direct payoff in productivity and reduced performance problems. Training should be an ongoing process. Each Job Category requires specific training. The basic job categories are:

Supervisory Employees:- Supervisors should already have hands- on technical knowledge of cleaning. Training focuses on managing staff, identifying and correcting performance problems constructively, communicating and coordinating with the front desk for rooms and other guest requirements, issuing and inventorying equipment and supplies and writing schedules for attendants. The team leader must learn enough managerial skills to motivate his or her team and maintain standards. Training should address time management if team leaders must split their time between cleaning and managing.

Managers:- Managers need to learn not only about departmental operations and the property’s technical requirements, but also its staff skills and management focus. Training may be done by the Executive Housekeeper, Room Division Manager, Resident Manager, or General Manager, depending on the size and management structure of the property

Training Methods and Types

There are a number of different methods that can be used, they include:-

1. A tell- show-do-review Technique
2. Audio Visual Aid

3. Filmed Videos Training Films

4. The “Fish-Bowl” Technique
5. Role Playing Benchmarking

Training may be of various types:-

·       Induction training

·       Refresher training

·       Remedial Training

·       Cross Training

·       On-the-job training

·       Simulation training

·       Off-the-job training

Training can be costly, but the investment has a payoff in terms of increased productivity

  

Steps of Training: Prepare-Present-Practice-Follow up

1.      Assess the need for training

2.      Identify specific areas for training and prioritize

3.      Determine the type of training needed in each area

4.      Plan training program and implement them

5.      Evaluate the training program

Evaluation

The department head can use SOP (standards of performance) as a yardstick to measure the quality and quantity of every individual’s performance. The method and date by which a task is to be performed, plus all pertinent data, is incorporated into a standard of performance. Modern technology has made it easier for EHKs to monitor staff performance through:-

·       Inspection reports

·       Assignment sheets

·       Awards and rewards

·       Disciplinary records

Disciplinary Problems

Disciplinary problems generally fall into two categories: Misconduct and Poor Performance. Misconduct generally involves disregard for the property’s rules and regulations. Poor performance refers to the failure to perform job functions.

Misconduct falls into several main categories:-

·       Dishonesty

·       Insubordination Intoxication and drug use

·       Discrimination or harassment

·       Possession or use of any weapon

·       Excessive unexcused absences or tardiness

·       Quarreling or fighting

· Conduct contributing to moral delinquency on the job Insolence

Check the following given video for better understanding of the topic.