3 top injuries for hotel cleaners
As a hotel cleaner, you have an important job. Your occupation revolves around customer satisfaction, ensuring that their leisure time and disposable income are put to good use. People want a tidy place to stay while on vacation or business trips. Unfortunately, your job responsibilities can take a toll on you.
Hotel housekeepers like you may suffer workplace injuries due to sudden accidents or simply working hard over a long period of time. Here are some common ways hospitality workers sustain injuries that you should be aware of so you can be safer.
1. Musculoskeletal injuries
According to a report on workplace safety for hotel cleaners by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the most common injuries are musculoskeletal disorders. These injuries occur from:
- Making beds
- Pushing carts
- Bending
- Kneeling
- Stooping
These injuries involve the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. This includes anything from carpal tunnel syndrome to crippling back pain.
2. Chemical exposure
You use and come into contact with various chemicals during the course of your job. Cleaning hotel rooms requires you to use cleaning products that contain bleaching agents and aerosols. These substances may cause you to suffer from respiratory illnesses. Detergents may cause adverse skin reactions. Even a simple task such as doing laundry or cleaning a bathroom mirror may result in an illness or injury.
3. Slips and trips
Falling after slipping or tripping is another common way you may sustain an injury while cleaning hotel rooms. Ripped or worn carpets are easy to trip on, which can lead to a fall. You may also slip if any floors are slippery due to spills or there is a lack of nonskid mats. Falling accidents may cause brain or spinal cord trauma.
Working in the accommodations industry is important work that often goes unnoticed, but it is also dangerous at times. You should pursue compensation if you suffer an injury or illness while housekeeping.