SAFETY IN HOUSEKEEPING HANDLING CHEMICALS SAFELY

DEPARTMENT
You are using cleaning chemicals in
Safety ensures quality for everyone! your job as a housekeeper. When used
safely, they make your job easier and more
MOVING SAFELY is a key factor in efficient. When used in an unsafe manner,
practicing safe work habits. they put you, your co-worker, the hotel, and
the guests in jeopardy. Knowing about the
 Will help prevent slips, falls, muscle
chemicals you use will help.
injuries and bruises.
 By forming HABITS, you can move GUIDELINES FOR HANDLING
safely and stay healthy CHEMICALS SAFELY
Safe work methods protect the “GUEST”  Read container labels and follow
directions
 Prevents injury
 Make sure containers are not leaking
 Makes guests feel comfortable, safe
or damaged
and secure
 Be sure chemicals are labeled
 Protects guests from incurring added
correctly
expenses should they get hurt
 Wear personal equipment such as
(hospital, doctor and medicine bills)
mask, gloves, or goggles when needed
Safe work methods protect “YOU”  Do not mix chemicals
 Do not sniff contents of containers
 Protects body from injury or germs
 Protects you from losing hard-earned GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTING EXPOSURE
money due to absence or illness. TO GERMS
 Prevents you from practicing bad work
 Use different cloths for different
habits that can lead to guest
surfaces
complaining about you
 Wear gloves to protect yourself from
 Poor work, no recognition, no
contamination
recommendation
 Report problems such as blood, urine,
 Makes your work easier and more
or other body fluids in the guest room
efficient
 Handle soiled linens as little as
Safe work methods protect the “HOTEL” possible
 Use disinfectant solution after
 Loss of valued employee contributors handling contaminated materials
 Loss or damage furnishings
 Shorter life of equipment THE MAID’S CART

GUIDELINES FOR MOVING SAFELY: It is a trolley meant to stock a given

number of linen item, supplies and
1. Watch where you are going equipment to service an allotted number of
2. Turn on lights rooms. Each maid after receiving her room
3. Look before entering the room assignment should check her supplies
4. Lift safely by bending at the knees, against a standard list to avoid needless
holding the load close to your body, trips. The maid is responsible for the
and keeping your back straight condition, cleanliness and appearance of the
5. Ask for assistance if a load is to heavy cart.
for you
6. Clean up or immediately report any The lower shelf of the cart is used to
potential safety hazard. carry heavier items like mattresses,
protectors and bed sheets and night spreads.
The mobile and top shelf stock pillow slips an
bath linen.
 The linen should include: OTHER HOUSEKEEPING KNOWLEDGE

1. Night spreads (1 for each BED) LAUNDRY SERVICE (Whether in-house or

2. Sheets (2 for each BED) outside)
3. Pillow cases (2 for each BED)
4. Bath towels (1 for each GUEST) Relationship between housekeeping
5. Face towels (1 for each GUEST) and laundry is very significant for the
6. Hand towels (1 for each GUEST) smooth functioning of housekeeping
7. Bath mats (1 for each services. The importance of laundry is
BATHROOM) inevitable as IT PROCESSES SOILED LINEN
8. Mattress protectors AND UNIFORMS AND SUPPLIES
(replacement) HOUSEKEEPERS WITH CLEAN STOCKS ON A
DAILY BASIS TO MAINTAIN HIGH
These terms should be arranged in STANDARDS OF HOUSEKEEPING. It is thus
neat stacks, the heavier items below and the important for housekeeping personnel to
lighter items on top. know something of the operations of the
laundry to fully understand its importance
The top tray should be neatly and contributions.
arranged with the following guestroom
supplies and cleaning agents: VALET SERVICE
VALET RUNNER: for laundry
ROOM:
Primary role of laundry is to PROVIDE VALET
TUMBLER SERVICE TO HOUSE GUESTS. A valet is the
one who, on call, fetches soiled clothes from
SERVICE DIRECTORY
guestrooms and returns them either washed
“DO NOT DISTURB” CARDS or dry-cleaned as per the guest demands.

GUEST STATIONERY LAUNDRY PROCESS

BALL POINT PENS  Sorting and Marking

 Washing/Dry-cleaning
TELEGRAPH FORMS  Hydro-extraction/Tumbler
 Ironing
BIBLES/GITA
FOUR TYPES OF PRESS
BATHROOM:
 HOT HEAD PRESS
GARGLE TUMBLERS  Where two flat surfaces press the
garments. Both surfaces are hot
SHOE MITTS
 STEAM PRESS
SOAPS/SOAP DISH  Same principles as the hot head
press except that the surfaces
TOILET ROLLS have perforations through which
steam passes.
TOILET TISSUES  SHIRT PRESS
BLADE DISPENSERS  Special press to give gent’s
shirts then proper contours and
SHOWER CAPS creases specially sleeves,
shoulders and collars.
 HAND PRESS
 Common domestic press used
for light garments and linens.
OTHER INFORMATION ON LAUNDRY Today soap is made by the
contribution of fatty acid and
 What has to be laundered alkalis at different temperatures
 What is used in laundering o A GOOD SOAP IS
o Water soaps, detergents and LAUNDERING SHOULD HAVE
alkaline THE FOLLOWING
 How laundering is carried out PROPERTIES:
o Washing processes, starch and  Good washing power
associated treatments. (DETERGENCY)
 Ease of rinsing
WHAT HAS TO BE LAUNDERED?  Easy solubility and purity
Textile fibres may be classified in  SYNTHETIC DETERGENTS
three categories o The main advantage of using
soap in laundering is that, it is
 VEGETABLE FIBRE killed by hard water. It is
o Have their origin in some form sensitive to acids and to salts.
of plant life. Cotton, Linen and Careful attention in rinsing is
Jute. required in order that no traces
 ANIMAL FIBRE of soap are retained in t he
o Have their origin from animals fabric. Detergents give more
 SYNTHETIC OR MAN-MADE efficient performances in hard
o Nylon, Dacron, Terylene water are easily soluble and are
easily rinsed from fabric. They
WHAT IS USED IN LAUNDERING? can be used with the builders or
alkalis.
 WATER  WASHING PROCESSES
o It is the most important o Wetting-out
material in laundering not only o Soil removal
because of the large amount o Soil suspension
required but also because the o Removal of soil from the
success or failure of the
machine
washing process depends upon
the suitability of water supply. FIRE PREVENTION
 HARDNESS OF WATER
o TEMPORARY HARDNESS  GOOD
 Bicarbonate of Calcium HOUSEKEEPING/HOUSEKEEPER
and Magnesium o Important requirement for fire
 Can be removed by prevention
boiling (Changed into  Falls under maintenance department
carbonates) o Helps prevent hazards
o PERMANENT HARDNESS  Achieved through
 Sulphates of Calcium and orderliness and
Magnesium elimination of hazards
 Which can be removed by  CHIEF ENGINEER
chemical treatment o Responsible for fighting fires in
known as WATER hotels
SOFTENING o Responsible for instructing
 SOAPS AND DETERGENTS every employee in his
o Known to main from earliest department on organizing and
times when it was customary to supervising fire drills and for
mix the ashes of wood under the maintenance of a well
the cooking pot with rancid fats trained group which acts as a
from the cooking pot itself.
 fire patrol as well as fire
fighters.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF FIRES

 CLASS A
o Fire occurring in ordinary dry
combustible materials such as
wood, textiles, papers, rubbish,
etc. in these fires, the
quenching and cooling effects of
quantities of water or solutions
containing a high percentage of
water are of full importance.
 CLASS B
o Fires in inflammable liquids
such as oils, grease, etc. in
these fires a blanketing effect is
essential.
 CLASS C
o Fires in electrical equipment
where the use of non-
conductive agents are required
for extinguishing them.

TYPES OF EXTINGUISHER

1. SODA ACID EXTINGUISHER (Class A)

2. CARBON DIOXIDE FOG (Class B and C)

3. CARBON DIOXIDE FOAM (Class B)

CLASSIFICATION/DISTRIBUTION OF
EXTINGUISHER:

CLASS 1: Light hazard occupancy

 1:5000 Sq. Ft.

CLASS 2: Ordinary combustible

 1:2500 Sq. Ft.

CLASS 3: Hazardous areas

 1:2500 Sq. Ft. plus 1 special

extinguisher for confined areas.