Health Hazards and the Associated Contributions to Work Safety in the Housekeeping Department of Budget Hotels

Abstract

Health hazards abound in the Budget hotels in the study area but most hoteliers act in contravention of the ILO Conventions and the Tourism Act (Act 817) which requires that employees must be made aware of the potential hazards in their area of operations. It was found that there are seven major hazards affecting housekeepers in the study area and all but one of these hazards are significant in influencing work safety. These hazards are chemical exposure (χ2= 62.186, p < 0.05), followed by musculoskeletal disorder (χ2 = 49.447, p < 0.05), Trip/slip/fall (χ2 = 47.211, p < 0.05), cut (χ2 = 44.494, p < 0.05), fungi (χ2 = 34.549, p< 0.05), with the least being abuse (χ2=33.348, p < 0.05). Most of these hazards occur as a result of inadequate provision of PPE’s and supervision which often leads to laxity on the part of housekeepers. It is therefore necessary that regulatory as well as supervising bodies should ensure safety standards among budget hotels in the study area.