www.calodging.com January + February 2024 5 FEATURE properties can face costly reputational and financial losses. Security experts like Harris say the solution is for properties to adopt proactive, holistic practices designed to avoid those risks—and it starts with comprehensive training. Consistent Employee Training In an era where staff and guest safety have increasing risks to budgets and reputation, safety has to be a full-time responsibility for all staff. That means one of the most important factors in a safe hospitality workplace is for properties to have an effective and comprehensive training program. The program should cover a wide range of safety issues, everything from proper lifting technique to how to deal with the unfortunate potential of violence occurring on a property. “Attentive staff trained to recognize and communicate their observations of suspicious activity can complement a good security team,” said Harris, who has been in the security field for nearly 40 years. He recommends that all hotels institute a safety and wellness committee made up of leaders and at least one non-manager from each department. The committees should identify target safety areas to improve, and because consistency is critical, they should meet monthly to follow up on progress. In some cases, training is not just a good idea, but is mandated by law. Properties need to conduct training that meets state and local requirements in areas from injury prevention to sexual harassment and workplace violence. “It gives our associates great practice and confidence that they can act quickly during an emergency,” said Gerardo Alvarez, Director of Loss Prevention at The U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego. Make Safety Part of Your Culture Training courses and webinars are essential tools—but safety also has to be an ongoing part of the culture at the property, says Nicole Edwards-Peña, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn in Temecula. Throughout her career, she has made safety a top priority for her staff, and notes that it succeeds when the people who work at the property truly feel that it is a priority. “When you talk about safety with your team, it’s not just about doing the training and having them sign something, it’s also about things like room leaders walking down halls and making sure people are using the right techniques,” Edwards-Peña said. “It’s really about culture, so people know that you’re taking their safety into consideration every day.” One way to start effectively is by rewarding safe work practices. “When you are responsive to an associate’s safety concern or reinforce safe behavior, you help increase their willingness to participate in keeping the hotel safe,” Alvarez said. Transparency is also crucial to create and maintain a solid culture based on safety. Implementing a voting system where associates can elect their safety committee leaders will help ensure everyone’s voice is heard. “Something as simple as making sure all meeting notes, initiatives, and improvements are distributed to all staff as they occur will help everyone feel included,” Harris added. In addition to training for everyday safety issues, it also pays to think about the unusual but potential safety issues. For example, prior to last fall’s severe weather, she made sure to stock the hotel with enough flashlights, batteries, glow sticks, and water to ride out a power outage—and made sure everyone on the staff knew where to find them. Managers also made sure to remain close to the property even off duty in case they were needed in a hurry. She also created “failsafe” key cards “ Attentive staff trained to recognize and communicate their observations of suspicious activity can complement a good security team. –Harold Harris, Directory of Security, Grand Hyatt SFO
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