In California, there are some jobs that are automatically known to place workers at risk. Others, however, can lead to injuries even if the job itself is relatively safe and free of inherent danger. Repetitive stress and an occupational disease can arise from the type of work a person does. Regulators will seek to take steps to ensure that these workers are safe from being injured on the job. Even if there are regulations in place, that does not mean there will not be any injuries, so understanding how to be compensated if they happen is still important. Workers should keep track of new regulations as they are implemented as it might affect them and the jobs they do.
A new set of regulations have been put in place to protect housekeepers who work in hotels and in the hospitality industry in California. These are designed to improve health regulation and workplace safety for these frequently underappreciated workers. The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration will enforce it. It will go into effect July 1. Statistically, these workers have a higher incidence of acute and cumulative injury problems when they are compared with those who work in different jobs. There has also be a steady rise in those injuries.
Employers in hotels and lodging are required to have a Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program. These jobs lead to these types of injuries due to the need to lift, pull and push when cleaning, changing bed sheets and more. They are also prone to slip, trip and fall. There are several requirements a MIPP must have, including: identifying and evaluating hazards; investigating injuries housekeepers have suffered; correcting hazards; and training workers on how to maintain safety and report injuries.
These new regulations are a step in the right direction to protect hotel and hospitality workers. Unfortunately, even with these rules, work accidents and injuries will still happen. A repetitive stress injury can start as a minor ache and slowly increase until the person is unable to do any work at all. Having legal assistance can be critical to getting compensation for the workplace injuries.
Source: facilityexecutive.com, “New California Workplace Safety Regulation Protects Hotel Housekeepers,” March 13, 2018