Source
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2012-151, 2012 Jul; :1-2
Abstract
Nearly 1.8 million people worked in the Traveler/Accommodations industry in 2008, including more than 400,000 hotel room cleaners. Tasks performed by hotel room cleaners include dusting, vacuuming, changing linens and making beds, scrubbing bathrooms, cleaning mirrors, and disposing of trash. Most cleaners are women, and many are immigrants and minorities. According to a recent academic study, housekeepers had the highest rates of injury of all jobs studied in sampled hotels. Furthermore, among housekeepers, Hispanic females had the highest rate of injury. Workplace hazards from hotel cleaning may result in the following: 1. Musculoskeletal disorders from bending, pushing carts, and making beds; 2. Traumatic injuries from slips, trips, and falls; 3. Respiratory illnesses from cleaning products that contain substances such as irritant aerosols and bleaching agents; 4. Skin reactions from detergents and latex; 5. Infectious diseases from agents such as biological waste (e.g., feces and vomit) and bloodborne pathogens found on broken glass and uncapped needles; 6. Occupational stress due to workloads, job insecurity, low pay, and discrimination.
Keywords
Housekeeping-personnel; Housekeeping-products; Women; Humans; Racial-factors; Injuries; Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Traumatic-injuries; Respiratory-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Respiratory-irritants; Aerosols; Household-bleach; Skin-irritants; Biohazards; Bloodborne-pathogens; Stress
