Common Causes of Work-Related Injuries in Hotel Employees

More than a million people in the United States work in hotels and motels in some way. This includes housekeepers, desk clerks, managers, maintenance workers, security guards, chefs, bartenders, waiters, and dining room attendants, just to name a few. While there are many different ways people can potentially work in hotels, one thing they have in common is that there are lots of ways to potentially get hurt on the job. It’s believed that approximately 1 out of every 1,000 hotel workers is injured on the job each year. 

Even though there are many different types of jobs people can have at hotels/motels, there are certain types of accidents and injuries that tend to happen frequently. 

Slip/Trip & Fall Accidents

There are a lot of different ways hotel employees can fall on the job. For example, a housekeeper could slip while cleaning a bathroom in a guest room or a food service worker might slip on spilled oil or water while working in the hotel kitchen. Falls can easily cause a wide range of injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, head/brain injuries, and soft tissue injuries. 

Muscle Strain

Many types of hotel workers frequently need to do tasks that can require working in awkward positions, making a lot of repetitive motions, or lifting/pushing heavy objects, all of which can take a toll on muscles. Bellhops, for example, may need to lift heavy suitcases several times a day while housekeepers can need to push heavy carts, get into uncomfortable positions to clean hard-to-reach places, or develop repetitive injuries from wiping motions. Musculoskeletal injuries are one of the most common types of work-related injuries 

Chemical Exposure

For any job at a hotel that involves cleaning or grounds maintenance, cleaning products and products like weed killers can be a regular part of the job. But since these types of products can be harsh, it’s very important they be used carefully, with protective gear and proper ventilation when needed, to prevent harm to workers. Over time, exposure to these types of products can lead to problems like respiratory illnesses. 

Violence

Many types of jobs at a hotel can involve a risk of violence from guests. Front desk clerks and managers can need to deal with guests who are upset about something and housekeeping staff might find themselves cornered by a guest while working alone, and people who work at the desk during night shifts can be seen as a target for robberies. Because of this, it’s very important that hotels take steps to prevent these types of situations, such as taking steps to prevent people from working alone and providing panic buttons to people who do need to work alone or at night. 

Contact a Michigan Workplace Injury Lawyer

Very often, employers have options to help prevent the chance of employees being injured on the job, such as providing protective gear and training on how to perform tasks in a way that reduces the risk of injury. If you were injured on the job for any reason, a workplace injury lawyer can help. Contacting a lawyer as early as possible will help make sure your claim for workers compensation benefits is handled correctly. Scott Goodwin Law is experienced in handling these types of cases. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Image: Rodrigo Salomon Canas / Pixabay