Be prepared for the Cal/OSHA standards board’s July 1, 2018 regulation requiring hotels, lodging establishments, resorts, and bed-and-breakfast inns to implement new protection from musculoskeletal injury for all employees performing housekeeping tasks.
Intended to address a workplace hazard encountered by housekeepers—namely, a “musculoskeletal injury”—this new “Hotel Housekeeping Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention” regulation defines these injuries as “acute injury or cumulative trauma of a muscle, tendon, ligament, bursa, peripheral nerve, joint, bone, spinal disc, or blood vessel.”
The Current Situation
Today, California employers (including hotels) are required to have a written Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP), including health and safety training, identification/abatement of workplace hazards, and procedures for reporting unsafe working conditions. This new regulation imposes requirements for hotels beyond an IIPP and requires every California hotel, motel, and bed-and-breakfast employer to prepare within 90 days of July 1, 2018.
Looking for more tips on Cal/OSHA compliance? Joint our Cal/OSHA Summit 2018, taking place October 17-19 in San Diego!
New Cal/OSHA Regulation Requirements
The new requirements include the following:
- An on-site evaluation of ergonomic risks of housekeeper employees at each hotel or motel.
- The housekeeping staff must be involved in the evaluation, then a plan must be written.
- Training must occur for management and for the housekeeping staff.
- A new process for investigation of ergonomic work injuries must be in place.
- Records must be kept, and a reevaluation must take place after the first year—with specific actions if work injury occurs after the plan is adopted.
It can seem like a lot, but we’re here to help! Our webinar on July 18 will provide attendees with the right information, including:
- Specific requirements of the CA Hotel Housekeeping Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention regulation;
- What must be included in a Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Plan (MIPP);
- How to conduct an ergonomic assessment that includes participation by housekeeping employees;
- How to conduct an accident investigation that complies with the new regulation and ways it differs;
- Training requirements for managers and supervisors;
- Training requirements and sample training for hotel housekeeping employees;
- References and resources for hotel and motel employers; and
- How to annually evaluate the MIPP.
 Don Dressler is the founder of CalWorkSafety, LLC, and has worked with safety and OSHA compliance for over 45 years. Dressler and his consulting team focus on safety, employment and HR issues, accident investigations, OSHA compliance, and workers’ compensation control. Learn more at http://www.calworksafety.com and www.DonDressler.com. |