As an employer or manager, you are responsible for assuring safe and healthful working conditions for your housekeeping staff.  Safety consciousness must be a consistent part of your planning and thinking.  Back safety can be especially challenging, not only to prevent obvious unsafe acts, but also to anticipate potential hazards.

Proper lifting technique is critical to back safety.  Not all back injuries are a result of sudden trauma.  Most result when a repeated minor injury flares up or improper lifting techniques are repeated continuously.

Here are some proper lifting techniques to consider:

• Use slow and smooth movements – pace yourself.
• Do not use hurried, jerky movements that can strain your back muscles.
• Keep your body facing the object while you lift it.
• Keep the load close to your body.
• To pick up a load, lift with your legs, bend your knees, keep your back straight.
• Try to carry the load in the space between your shoulder and your waist.
• Get help before attempting to lift heavy objects.
• Don’t rely on a back belt to protect you from poor techniques. They cannot prevent back injury.
• Use a ladder rather than lift a load over our head.
• Be sure you can keep a tight grip on the object.

While our housekeeping staff is responsible for making good safety choices each day, our obligation as employers and managers is to train them in all areas of safety awareness and proper technique, as well as to encourage each associate to set a good example.  MasterCorp holds monthly safety meetings at each of our resort housekeeping locations.  Minutes of each meeting are kept and sent to the home office for review.  Each of our Executive Housekeepers receives information on how to conduct a safety meeting with their associates.  Additionally, when a new worker arrives, the Executive Housekeeper goes over specific safety regulations and procedures carefully as a part of their initial training.