Hospitality Focus on Safety: Respiratory Protection
Definition:
The human respiratory system can be protected by avoiding or minimizing exposure to harmful substances; however, in some cases this may not be possible and an appropriate respirator shall be required. Certain respirators can reduce or remove many contaminants from an atmosphere. When concentrations of these contaminants are too high to be reduced or removed or when oxygen levels are too low, employees should evacuate the area and call in professional assistance.
Single Use, Disposable or Maintenance-Free Respirators:
- These
respirators are disposable masks to cover the mouth and nose. They do not contain any air purifying
cartridges or elements. They are merely
available to assist when the air is non-toxic but contains elements that are
bothersome to the employee. They are not
specifically fitted for any single person.
Air Purifying Respirators:
- These
respirators do contain air-purifying cartridges or elements. They must be cleaned and maintained on a
regular basis and specifically fitted for proper operation. They are used to protect the employee from
contaminants in the air.
Potential Exposures
- Housekeeping cleaning
chemicals may cause irritation to an employee
- Many maintenance cleaning
chemicals and industrial chemicals require the use of a respiratory.
- Gas leaks in the facility can
occur.
Prevention
- Each employee on property should be issued a disposable respiratory mask.
- Air purifying respirators should be kept in an emergency box on the property.
- All employees should be trained on how to read chemical labels and safety data sheets for any potential warnings prior to using a chemical.
In the event of exposure to an air pollutant:
- Follow the guidelines for the incident found in the Emergency Binder.
- If you feel you may have incurred an injury of any kind, report it immediately to your supervisor.
- Be very clear on whether you require immediate medical attention, imminent medical attention or request additional accommodations to prevent injury in the future.
- Report the incident to the Risk Management Team.
- Inform the staff of the incident and make corrections to procedures or errors to ensure that this incident does recur.
June McCreight
June McCreight began her career in the hospitality industry as a housekeeper in 1996. In the years since, she has risen through the ranks, learning maintenance, front office, sales and revenue management, property management and district management, bench management and opening team management. She has trained hundreds of hoteliers and won many awards for her management successes. In 2011, June wrote and published, The Strangers in My Beds, a fictional novel based strictly on the strange events of her career in hotels. In 2014, June partnered with her father, a very accomplished software architect, and opened the business, Coba Enterprise Management, LLC with a very unique and specialized CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) software for hotels.
