HOUSEKEEPING NC III - CBLM

COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIALS
Sector: TOURISM
Qualification
Title:
HOUSEKEEPING NC III
Unit of
Competency:
SUPERVISE ROOM CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
Module Title:
SUPERIVISING ROOM CLEANING
AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
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HOW TO USE THIS COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIAL
MODULE TITLE: SUPERVISE ROOM CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
REQUIREMENTS.
This is a Competency-Based Learning Material for the Module: SUPERVISING
ROOM CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.
This learning material contains activities for you to complete. It covers the
Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes required to complete the competency.
You are required to go through a series of learning activities in order to complete
each of the learning outcomes of this module. In each learning outcome, Learning
Elements and Reference Materials are available for your further reading to assist you
in the required activities. You are expected to accomplish all the required activities
and to answer the self-check after each learning element. Please note that you need
to have 100% correct answers to each self-check to pass the activity. You are
required to obtain answer sheets, which are available from your trainer or at the end
of each learning element, to reflect answers for each self-check. If you have
questions, please do not hesitate to ask your facilitator for assistance.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
You may have acquired some or most of the knowledge and skills covered in this
learning material because you have:
• Actual experience on the job.
• Already completed training in this area.
BENEFITS OF RPL
• Gives credit for knowledge and experience.
• Reduces duplication of learning.
• Reduces costs of obtaining formal credentials.
• Gives immediate feedback and determines which competencies need
verification and testing.
• Identifies training gaps.
• Training (is individualized and results in a recognized certificate).
• Assists in professional development.
• Allows for better use of time and resources.
• Potentially saves on training costs.
So, if you can demonstrate to your trainer that you are competent in a particular skill,
you do not have to do the same training again. Or, if you feel you have the skills, talk
to your trainer about having them formally recognized. You may also show your
Certificates of Competence from previous training. And if your acquired skills are still
updated / relevant to the module, they may become part of the evidence you can
present for RPL.

A Record of Achievement is also provided for your trainer to fill-in upon completion of
this module.
This module was prepared to help you achieve the required competencies in
Monitoring Housekeeping Requirement Procedures and Resources, Monitoring
Cleanliness and Safety in the Workplace, Assessing and Evaluating Assigned Tasks
It will serve as a source of information for you to acquire the required knowledge,
skills, attitude, and inherent behaviour for the UNIT OF COMPETENCY NO. 1:
SUPERVISE ROOM CLEANING, AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS for the
HOUSEKEEPING NC III qualification, and with minimum supervision or help from
your trainer. This material will aid you in acquiring the competency at your own pace,
independently. To achieve the full benefit of this module:
• Talk to your trainer and agree on how you will both organize your training on
this unit. Read through the Competency Based Learning Material carefully. It
is divided into sections which cover all the skills and knowledge you need to
successfully complete this module.
• Most probably, your trainer will also be your supervisor. He / She will be there
to support and show you the correct way to do things. Ask for help if you need
one.
• Your trainer will tell you about the important things you need to consider when
doing the activities. It is important you listen and take notes.
• You will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and undergo rigid
practice. This will help you in achieving competency in your new skill. Ample
practice will improve your speed, memory and confidence.
• Talk with more experienced colleagues and ask for guidance.
• Answer self-checks at the end of each section to test your own progress.
• When you finished each element and feel that you are ready, demonstrate the
activities outlined in the learning material to your trainer.
• As your work through the activities, your trainer will be taking note of your
performance. He / She will be providing feedback on your progress. Your
readiness for assessment will be reflected in his/her report, if and when you
have successfully completed each element.

INTRODUCTION TO THE MODULE
UNIT OF COMPETENCY : SUPERVISE ROOM CLEANING AND
MODULE TITLE : SUPERVISING ROOM CLEANING AND
MODULE DESCRIPTOR : This module covers the knowledge, skills and
attitudes required to conduct the monitoring,
supervision and assessment of assigned
housekeeping tasks.
Introduction:
this module contains information and learning activities in Supervising Room
Cleaning and Maintenance Requirements.
Upon completion of this module and you feel confident that you have had sufficient
practice, you may request your Trainer to arrange an appointment with a registered
Assessor for your assessment. The results of the assessment will be recorded in
your Competency Achievement Record.
SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this Competency-Based Learning Material, the learners are expected to
meet the following learning outcomes:
LO 1. Monitor Housekeeping Requirement Procedures and Resources
LO 2. Monitor Cleanliness and Safety in the Workplace
LO 3. Assess and Evaluate Assigned Tasks
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Critical Aspects of Assessment
Evidence of the following is critical:
LO 1. Monitor Housekeeping Requirement Procedures and Resources:
1.1 Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is monitored in compliance with
Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
1.2 External regulations are complied with according to industry standards.
1.3 Tools, equipment and supplies are controlled according to housekeeping
procedures.
1.4 Accidents, injuries, and unsafe work conditions are responded in accordance
with establishment procedures.
1.5 Incidents reports are stored and maintained.

LO 2. Monitor Cleanliness and Safety in the Workplace:
2.1 Continuous monitoring of the cleanliness and safety of the workplace is done.
2.2 Housekeeping issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with
workplace procedures.
2.3 Maintenance and storage of tools, equipment and supplies are monitored in
accordance with workplace standards.
2.4 Records are stored and maintained.
2.5 Emergency Management Plan is reviewed periodically.
LO 3. Assess and Evaluate Assigned Tasks:
3.1 Risk assessment activities are scheduled and applied based on industry
standards.
3.2 Safe workplace is ensured to protect the workers’ safety.
3.3 Effectiveness of the systems are reviewed and assessed according to
workplace standards.
3.4 Necessary improvements are implemented.
3.5 Compliance with legislations and internal requirements are maintained.
Context of Assessment and Resources Implications:
Context of Assessment must ensure that:
• Assessment should include practical demonstration either in the workplace or
through a simulation activity, supported by a range of methods to assess
underpinning knowledge.
• Assessment must relate to the individual’s work area or area of responsibility.
• Demonstration of skills on more than one occasion.
• Demonstration of functions and supervisory aspects of the housekeeping and
accommodation operations.
• Learners developed knowledge and skills in departmental procedures as well
as an understanding of safety and security responsibilities.
Resource Implications must ensure that:
• Training and assessment must include access and use of simulated or fully
equipped housekeeping operational area, with simulated scenarios and
practical service equipment; and access to workplace standards, procedures,
policies, guidelines, tools and equipment in housekeeping and
accommodations operations.
Critical Aspects of the Qualification:
Evidence of the following is essential:
• Demonstrate knowledge of the functional areas of the housekeeping and
accommodation department.
• Describe the operational and supervisory aspects of running housekeeping
and accommodation operations.
• Investigate the purchase and range of furnishings available.
• Examine the range of accommodation provided and the regular processes of
cleaning and maintenance necessary to ensure the facilities and
accommodation meets the guest’s requirements and expectations.

• Identify common cleaning supplies and equipment used in the housekeeping
department.
• Describe the key features of the linen and laundry departments.
• Describe the main responsibilities of the housekeeping department for the
hotel’s leisure facilities.
• Explain the importance of security and safety within the housekeeping and
accommodation department.
• Explore measures to improve the environmental responsibilities of the hotel.
Assessment Methods:
The following methods may be used to assess competency for this module:
• Observation of practical candidate performance.
• Simulated practical exercises.
• Role plays.
• Oral and written questions.

Program/ Course : HOUSEKEEPING NC III
Unit of Competency : Supervise Room Cleaning and Maintenance
Requirements
Module : Supervising Room Cleaning and Maintenance
Requirements
Learning Outcome No. 1: Monitor Housekeeping Requirement Procedures
and Resources
Assessment Criteria:
1.1 Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is monitored in compliance with
Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
1.2 External regulations are complied with according to industry standards.
1.3 Tools, equipment and supplies are controlled according to housekeeping
procedures.
1.4 Accidents, injuries, and unsafe work conditions are responded in accordance
with establishment procedures.
1.5 Incidents reports are stored and maintained.
References:
• Casado, Matt A. Housekeeping Management 2nd
Edition 2012. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
• Singh, Malini. Hotel Housekeeping 2012. Tata McGraw Hill Education Private,
Ltd.
• Andrews, Sudhir. Textbook of Hotel Housekeeping Management and
Operations 1st
Edition 2008. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Limited.
• Boston Business School. Facilities and Accommodation Operations 2007.
Confederation of Tourism, Hotel, and Catering Management.
• Jones, Thomas J.A. Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations
4th
Edition 2005. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Websites:
o https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4064225.html
o https://www.hotelmanagement.net/sponsored/keeping-it-clean-tips-for-
improving-housekeeping-operations
o https://www.tutorialspoint.com/hotel_housekeeping/hotel_housekeepin
g_principles.htm
o https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/occup_workplace/hotel_housekeepi
ng.html
o http://v2020eresource.org/content/files/housekeeping_management.ht
m

INFORMATION SHEET NO.: 1 / UC NO.: 1
MONITOR HOUSEKEEPING REQUIREMENT PROCEDURES AND RESOURCES
Introduction
An efficiently managed housekeeping departments ensure the
cleanliness, maintenance, and aesthetic appeal of lodging
properties.
The housekeeping department not only prepares clean guest
rooms on a timely basis for arriving guests, it also cleans and
maintains everything in the hotel.
Housekeeping is the guest’s first impression and last impression when they visit a
property.
Housekeeping Objectives:
• To ensure that all areas are clean at all times.
• to minimie the build-up of dirt.
• To make guests feel comfortable.
• To clean at the most convenient times in the most efficient way.
• To minimize any disruption to guest’s whilst cleaning.
• To reduce any opportunities of infestation.
• To use good quality, and safe cleaning chemicals.
• To promote a healthy and safe environment.
• To prolong the lif eof furniture, fixtures,a nd fittings.
• To imporve the appearance of the operation.
Challenges for the Housekeeping
Department:
• Responsibility for the largest volume of
area within the hotel.
• The largest department in the hotel.
• In most cases, has the largest
departmental staff count in the hotel.
• Hard to attract skilled employees.
• Hard to retain employees.
• Hard to motivate employees.
Moments of Truth
A moments of truth is simply any interaction during which a guest may form an
impression of your brand or product. This impression may be either positive or
negative.
The importance of high standards of cleanliness to the guest cannot be
underestimated. Positive first impressions (or “moments of truths”) is expected; and
that guests form impressions in seconds and these impressions last.

The Housekeeping management aims to deliver high standards in generally
challenging conditions, working with limited resources in a pressurised environment.
Quality Controls in Houseekping
Pertains to:
• Good leadership and on-going
supervision:
o Cleaning schedules.
o Cleaning standards – How to
clean?
• Good checking systems:
o Keeps up to date with industry trends.
o The right tools to do the job right!
o Skilled, and motivated employees.
• Good quality cleaning products:
o On-going guest research – speak to guest (formal and informal) and
listen what they have to say.
o Conducting regular audits and inspections.
o Rules and regulations for employees and guests.
• Good and effective communication with other departments:
o Following productivty standards expected.
o Regular employee training.
The Housekeeping Department
The Executive Housekeeper is one of the
main managers within the hotel organization
in any large hotel operations.
The Executive Housekeeper (or
Housekeeping Manager) is normally a high
level position within the hotel holding much
responsibility and with all statutory and
company regulations relating to the health & safety, hygiene, conduct of employees,
fire emergency procedures, security of premises and of property.
Executive Housekeeper’s Seven (7) Managerial Functions:
• Planning.
• Organization.
• Coordinating.
• Staffing.
• Directing.
• Controlling.
• Evaluating.
The Housekeeping Team
Personal Atributes of Housekeeping Staff
Pertains to:
• Pleasant personality:
o Calm demeanor.

o Personal fitness.
o Honesty.
• Physical fitness:
o Adaptability.
o Salesmanship.
o Tact and diplomacy.
• Personal hygiene:
o Courtesy.
o Good memory.
o Right attitude.
• Cooperation:
o Possess loyalty.
o Shows punctuality.
o Eye for detail.
Staffing within the organization would vary depending on:
• Size of operation and area to be cleaned.
• Quantity of rooms.
• Standards of hotel.
• Amount if facilities in the hotel.
• Avaialbility of skilled labor.
• Housekeeping labor budget.
Outsourcing Room Cleaning
Trend: Many hotels now outsource their room cleaning to an external cleaning
company as shown in the following diagram. However, as the table below illustrates,
there are positive and negative attributes.
Hotel
• Signs contract with suitable
cleaning contractor.
• Provides cleaning specifications
to company to follow.
• Provides suitable job descriptions.
• Books agency cleaners on a
weekly basis depending on
occupancy.
• Monitors cleaning quality.
• Communicates regularly with
agency manager.
Contractor
• Meets with hotel Executive
Housekeeper to determine
cleaning needs.
• Recruits staff to work at hotel.
• Trains staff to hotel standards.
• Provides staff as and when
required.
• Provides all cleaning equipment
and chemicals.
• Supervises cleaners that are
carrying-out job successfully.

Opportunities for Hotel Challenges for Hotel
• Reduced expenditure overall
(recruitment, training, turnover).
• More accurate labour forecasting,
deployment and utilization.
• Specialization.
• Able to focus on other activities.
• Potential loss of control.
• Different work teams within hotel.
• Casual staff may not be familiar with
loyal guests.
Management of the Housekeeping Department
If the housekeeping operation is to be efficient considerable thought must be given to
the way in which it is organised. One cannot expect a group of people, however well
motivated they may be, to give of their best if there is no order or method in the
organisation.
Organizing is sometimes considered an
occasional function, something which is
done infrequently, for example when a
department is being planned or newly
opened or when someone new takes
over; but in fact organizing is a continuing
function and the organiational set-up
should be reviewed frequently.
The Executive Housekeeper is the man or woman responsible for the efficient and
economic running of the department within the aims and objectives as set out by top
management. As manager of the department the housekeeper has the responsibility
of planning and forecasting for the department, organising, leading, directing,
controlling and coordinating the accommodation area under her jurisdiction and while
doing this must comply with the various legal requirements appertaining to the
accommodation department, e.g.
• Fire Precautions Act.
• Health and Safety at Work.
• Food Hygiene Regulations.
• Hotel Proprietors Act.
• Sex Discrimination Act.
• Race Discrimination Act.
• Employment Protection Consolidation
Act.
The Executive Housekeeper therefore
employs all aspects of managerial activity and,
while these may be considered separately,
they are very closely interrelated and all are
assisted by good communications.
The scope of the Executive Housekeeper's work varies greatly from place to place
and from housekeeper to housekeeper. In the main it is for the organization of the
cleaning of the establishment's premises, or such parts as the employing authority

dictates (e.g. kitchens, restaurants and dining rooms are not normally the concern of
the hotel housekeeper or the hospital domestic services manager, but they maybe of
the domestic bursar in hostels), as well as for the management of the staff engaged
in the cleaning and servicing of the specified areas. The choice and care of the
furnishings also normally come within her scope
Effective management by the
housekeeper should lead to:
• Cleanliness of the premises,
• A comfortable and safe environment
for the guest,
• Consideration for the welfare and
motivation of the staff,
• Economic running of the department,
• A contribution to the profitability, reputation and smooth running of the
establishment.
It is essential for the Executive Housekeeper to be aware of the aims and objectives
of the establishment as a whole and for her to be informed of and consulted on any
policy changes which may affect her department. Costs have risen steeply over the
last few years and management has to decide what services it can afford to offer and
the best way of providing them. Hotels cannot afford to have empty rooms and some
cannot afford to offer the services offered in the past, e.g. early morning teas,
“turning down”, or shoe cleaning, nor can university halls of residence afford to have
rooms empty during vacations.
A problem which can arise, not so much perhaps in hotels but
in other sectors of the industry, is that top management is often
indifferent to the real advantages of good housekeeping. While
wanting a clean, safe and comfortable environment, top
management may be totally unaware of how this may be
achieved or of how much it will cost.
Objectives and responsibilities are often poorly defined and it is only when
housekeeping is an integral part of the whole organization and the Executive
Housekeeper is armed with the necessary information regarding objectives and
responsibilities that she is able to set about managing her department efficiently.
Planning and Forecasting
First, the Executive Housekeeper will plan and
forecast for her department. She will look ahead and
try to predict future happenings, e.g. staffing for high
and low occupancy, annual cleaning, redecoration,
etc. She will plan in order that these eventualities
are met and that her objectives are reached within
the time available. It is possible, of course, that
however carefully she plans and forecasts,
circumstances arise over which she has no control.

A good planner thinks on the lines of
economy, making the best possible use of
time, labour and materials and this will be
made easier for the housekeeper if she has
been consulted at the designing and
equipping stage of any new or altered
building. It should be borne in mind that labour
costs account for 90 to 95% of the total
cleaning costs and that cleaning and
maintenance costs over a period of about
twenty years may equal the initial cost of the
building, but it should also be remembered
that the planning of areas should be as,
flexible as possible to enable multi-purpose
use.
Designs should be simple, standardized and planned for easy cleaning, as well as
allowances made for change e.g.:
• Hotel bedrooms cleared for exhibitions;
• Small luncheon parties and meeting rooms;
• Suites let as individual bedrooms or meeting rooms, etc.
In planning and forecasting for the department the housekeeper tries to make the
fullest and most efficient use of equipment, space and human effort. She plans:
• What work has to be done;
• When and how often it has to be done;
• How it is to be done;
• To what standard it is to be done;
• How long it will take;
• Who will do it.
The Executive Housekeeper thus concerns herself
with staffing requirements and studies the advantages
and disadvantages of the whole range of cleaning
equipment, agents and methods, and endeavours to
bring into use those which make cleaning easier for
her staff, save time and are more efficient in producing
the final result; in this way she will not only improve
working conditions but reduce expenditure and,
ultimately, labour costs.
Work Study
In setting out to find and implement the most effective use of equipment, space and
human effort, the housekeeper is making use of method study - this is part of work
study, a tool of management. Work study also includes work measurement, which is
required to determine the work involved in a job; measurement is made of the time
taken to carry out a job under normal circumstances by an average worker and this
may help in determining the number of staff required, in determining who is over-or
under-employed and in standardizing labour costs.

Work study has been applied to various aspects of housekeeping, e.g. bed-making,
the planning of the linen room and its work, general cleaning procedures, etc. In a
particular investigation it was shown that the distance covered by the maid during
bed making could be reduced considerably if she stripped the bed more
systematically and did not tuck in the sheets and the blankets until the end of the bed
making operation.
From other investigations, it seems that block
cleaning, rather than a room being completed
in one visit, has resulted in better working
conditions (less fatigue) and better work flow
for the staff as well as a saving of time. There
is, however, the question of security to be
considered. Individual areas should also be
planned with a view to the work that will be
carried out in these areas and to their relation
to the rest of the establishment, e.g. maids'
service rooms, lifts, linen rooms, etc.
Work study should be considered wherever wastage of time, labour or materials is
suspected, e.g. when:
• Delays occur;
• Equipment lies idle;
• Work schedules appear unsatisfactory;
• Overtime appears excessive;
• Quality of work is poor;
• There is a high level of fatigue;
• Turnover of labour is high;
• Workers are not fully occupied;
• Rate of absenteeism or accident is high;
• Unnecessary movement is suspected;
• Guests complain of delays, etc.
Sometimes investigations are carried out by trained personnel instead of the
Executive Housekeeper, but before any investigation is started a full explanation of
the need for work study and the way in which it is to be carried out should be given
to the staff.
The main steps of work study are as follows:
1. The job procedure is selected and the problem defined.
2. The present method is recorded by the use of outline and flow process charts
flow and string diagrams.
3. The findings are examined.
4. The improved method is developed.
5. The improved method is installed.
6. Periodic checks are made to ensure the “improved” method is working
satisfactorily.

In any job the best results are obtained after
practice. Once the new time and labour saving
methods have been accepted the gain will no
doubt become, apparent, but the change from
the “customary” methods often takes time and
great tact. The staff should be made fully
aware of the new working methods and the
reasons for the change. Only with the full co-
operation of the staff throughout the
investigation it is possible to get a complete
picture of the old working methods and to
install the improved methods satisfactorily.
Standards of Housekeeping
Cleaning Standards
Methods used and the time taken on any job will
inevitably affect cleaning standards and the
Executive Housekeeper has to plan a standard of
cleanliness. It is not always necessary to have the
same standard throughout an establishment and
this is most clearly illustrated in hospitals where
there are areas of high, medium and low risk (see
table below, intended for illustrative purposes).
A standard of cleanliness is almost impossible to
measure and while such measurements as dust or
bacterial counts can be made they are more suited
to specialized purposes, e.g. hospital operating
theatres, than for general use.
Other measurements have been based on the number of square metres cleaned per
worker, on the annual costs per square metre or other circumstances. These
measurements based on statistics, without a full knowledge of the facts on which
they are calculated, can be very misleading. Very few areas are identical in:
• Degree and type of soiling;
• Amount and type of furniture;
• Furnishings;
• Obstructions, etc.
Standards of Cleaning in Hospitals
Area Standards Requirements
High Risk Areas, e.g.
operating theatres special
units, etc.
Prestige
Standards
Hightest possible standards of
cleaning, appearance, dust,
and infection control.
Medium Risk Areas, e.g.
wards, sluices, toilets,
kitchens.
Special
Standards
High standard of cleaning,
appearance, and infection
control.
Low Risk Areas, e.g.
corridors, offices, residences.
Normal
Standards
Good standard of cleaning and
appearance, absence of soil.

But these are only a few of the variables and so
the figures can only be an average. As a result
faulty and expensive decisions may be made.
More often than not, no measurement of
cleanliness is taken but the quality of cleanliness
is based on the acceptability or unacceptability
of the work.
The most practical definition of housekeeping standards is: method x frequency.
Therefore, an acceptable standard should be obtained when:
• Cleaning methods are correctly selected;
• Correct equipment and agents are used for each surface involved;
• Cleaning tasks are carried out at frequencies dependent on the type and
amount of soiling, which may detract from the appearance of an area and may
put the occupants at risk of infection.
These points should be included in the final documentation following method study.
Perhaps more than in any other type of establishment it is of vital importance in
hospitals (sample study) that there is full consultation when establishing methods
and frequencies. In patient care areas the views of the nursing staff will carry
considerable weight, but the responsibility for determining the ways in which the
standards should be met rests ultimately with the domestic services department.
The Executive Housekeeper should
therefore plan for a standard at the level
desired by management, making use of
her technical knowledge in defining job
procedures, job sequences and
frequencies, and work schedules for her
particular establishment. The most usual
method of ensuring that standards are
being met is by establishing a system for
checking work done.
Inspections may be total, random or planned and the housekeeper may also
introduce quality control when check-lists and 'white ragging' can be used in an
attempt to compare the work with an ideal standard. The result may be judged as a
percentage of the ideal or as fair, good or excellent. Effective systems of checking
are essential to ensure that all work is carried out and that standards are maintained.
The Executive Housekeeper may need to reassure her staff that checking the quality
of work is a means of improving performance and not an excuse for fault finding.
Staff meetings may provide the housekeeper with opportunities to discuss standards
with her supervisory staff and some means of feedback to those carrying out the
tasks, e.g. maids, cleaners, etc, should be found. The housekeeper should find time
to carry out inspections herself as part of her monitoring function but, generally it is

work delegated to the assistant housekeepers or supervisors.
Standard Time Rates
The way in which a job is done (job procedure and sequence) affects the time spent
on that job, as well as cleaning standards, and cleaning time is the basis from which
staffing requirements stem.
Standard time rates have been calculated for specific
jobs under standard conditions of equipment, agents,
method and personnel etc, but these seldom exist. The
rates published cannot take into account all the factors
which influence the time required for a particular job in a
particular area in a particular establishment. Standard
time rates, however, may be used as guidelines or for
comparative purposes. Among the factors which will
influence the standard time needed for any job are:
1. The type, age, architectural features of the establishment, the function of the
area:
• The maintenance of the area;
• The standards to be obtained;
• Degree and type of soiling;
• Frequency of cleaning;
• Type of surface to be cleaned;
• Type of service to be rendered;
• The amount of traffic and interruptions;
• The habits of the occupants;
• The accessibility of work areas to service areas.
2. The availability and type of equipment, supplies, etc.
3. The dexterity, motivation and caliber of the employees.
4. The quality of supervision.
Welfare of Staff
As a manager, the housekeeper leads and directs; she gives instructions, trains and
motivates her staff to meet the required standards. Incentive bonuses may be useful
relations and good working conditions are probably longer term motivators. Due
consideration should be given to wages, holidays and distribution of hours on duty.
Maids should be compensated in some way
for extra work done, as for example when
there are no relief maids for days off,
sickness or holidays. It might be suggested
that to prevent monotony maids change
sections occasionally, but in the majority of
cases maids object because they get the
feeling work is left for them and they prefer to
keep to their own supervisor and guests.
The feeding of her staff is not really the province of the Executive Housekeeper but
in the interests of their welfare she is concerned that they have sufficient time to

cover the distance between working areas and staff canteen, time to queue for, and
to eat their meals.
Good employees are hard to come by and once found it is up to the housekeeper to
be concerned with their welfare in order that they will stay.
Living-in staff needs comfort and warmth,
single rooms if possible, as well as a
lockable cupboard, facilities for laundry
and for making a hot drink, to encourage
them to stay. For security reasons it is
necessary to have individual lockers in
which non-resident staff may keep their
overalls, outdoor clothes and handbags.
Unless an Executive Housekeeper recognizes each member of staff as an individual
and not just as another pair of hands there may be instability and discontent
amongst the staff. This may give rise to resentment showing itself in the breaking of
rules, absenteeism or stirring up trouble. In order that staff is made to feel that they
and their work are important the The Executive Housekeeper should show an
interest, and offer praise where it is justified. In this way a happier atmosphere is
created and less ill-feeling results when it is necessary to find fault. Any fault-finding
should be done in private.
In addition to knowing the names of her staff, the Executive Housekeeper should
know something of their lives apart from their work and this knowledge will enable
her to understand, sympathize and make allowances in individual performance,
when and if necessary.
In planning well the housekeeper improves staff
relationships and should at all times act as an example to
her staff and provide them with the cohesive force of
leadership and purpose. She should ensure discipline is
kept at a reasonable level, consistent with managerial
policy, and make her staff aware of the need to take their
share in the efficient and economic running of the
department. She should not make more rules for her staff
than is absolutely necessary, but those that she makes
must be enforced.
Staff has more faith in the housekeeper who shows command of the situation and
this appliesnot only to the usual work of organizing the department but also to the
way in which she deals with emergencies occurring from time to time. These
emergencies could be, for example, fire, accident, death or birth, and in all cases the
housekeeper is expected to keep a cool head and to maintain discipline and control
over staff and guests according to house policy.
Co-ordination and Control
To ensure that everything works to give a balanced, effective organization the
Executive Housekeeper needs to co-ordinate the activities of the department. She

should keep the department running smoothly, dealing with problems and queries as
they arise, giving consideration to guest and staff welfare and maintaining liaison
with other heads of departments. Effective means of communication are of vital
importance.
In controlling her department, the Executive Housekeeper constantly checks
performance and work results. This involves keeping an ever watchful eye on the
work in progress and the costs incurred and collecting information regarding the
work from her assistants.
Housekeeping is a difficult field in which to exercise
control because employees work individually and the
“end-product” is intangible.
Planning and control are complementary and where
the Executive Housekeeper finds any deviation from
the original plan she should take the necessary steps
to remedy it or she may consider it advisable to
replan.
In aiming at an efficiently run department with operating costs as low as possible the
Executive Housekeeper endeavours to save time, labour and materials. In doing so,
she controls:
• Work methods;
• Allocation of work;
• Working conditions of her staff;
• All articles in use within the department; e.g. Linen and uniforms, keys,
furniture and furnishings, equipment and supplies.
Ensures as far as is possible throughout the department:
• the prevention of accidents.
• the provision of first aid.
• security.
• prevention of damage by pests.
The Executive Housekeeper carries the direct
responsibility for achieving the aims of her
department and the only way she can have
effective control is by close and careful
supervision. While she delegates much of the
routine work and day-to-day supervision of
the department to her assistants, she should
spot check some rooms from time to time and
remain observant and perceptive and be, at
all times, someone to whom the staff can look
up and turn for advice.
Leadership is an important element of control and while control is often considered
last it is by no means the last step in management or supervision. Control has the
greatest impact when applied at every step of housekeeping organisation.

(Note In smaller establishments the Executive
Housekeeper is much more concerned with the
day-to-day routine work and at times may have no
assistants on duty with her.) In surveying and
controlling the work of her department, the
Executive Housekeeper should keep abreast of
new products, furnishings, uniforms, etc and in
doing so she should try out new materials,
equipment, supplies and the like in an endeavour to
keep costs as low as possible.
New ideas may be gained by visiting exhibitions and other establishments, by
reading trade magazines and by seeing representatives from various firms when
they call. These are all time consuming but essential if up-to-date products and
methods, etc are to be used and operating costs kept down. Control of departmental
costs is essential and for this to be effective the housekeeper is concerned in the
preparation of a budget for her department.
Record-keeping
Paper work is necessary and, although time
consuming, the Executive Housekeeper will need to
keep certain records in order to aid memory, to aid co-
operation between departments, to improve efficiency
and to make it easier should someone have to take
over her job. While some records are legally required
others may be company policy. Not all records are relevant to all types of
establishments, but amongst those kept may be:
• Records of recruitment for staff and their results;
• Records of staff, giving personal particulars, e.g. Date of commencement of
employment, next of kin, holidays, sickness, absences, date of leaving with
reasons and possibly brief notes on their work and conduct in case of
requests for references;
• Record of hours worked by staff, including overtime;
• Record of staff training;
• Stock books for linen and stores;
• Inventories of rooms and equipment, with dates of
receipt, cost and possibly a record of maintenance
of the individual items;
• Records of each room regarding redecoration, new
furnishings and annual cleaning;
• Blanket book and Lost property book;
• Record of missing articles and articles not
immediately found, e.g. Vacuum cleaners, etc;
• Accident book and Record of fire practices;
• Record of articles moved from or to rooms;
• Record of individual personal tastes of frequent guests and vip's;
• Financial records, invoice and petty cash books, costs of personnel, room
servicing, cleaning, contracts, purchasing of equipment and supplies, etc.

SELF-CHECK NO.: 1 / UC NO.: 1
Instruction: Choose the correct answer and encircle the letter of your choice.
1. This is a continuing function in housekeeping manageent, and the
organizational set-up should be reviewed frequently.
A. Operation.
B. Organizing.
C. Managing,
D. Planning.
2. This hospitality term simply means any interaction during which a guest may
form an impression of your brand or product. This impression may be either
positive or negative.
A. Moments of Truth.
B. Guest Interactions..
C. Positive Impressions.
D. Brand Awareness.
3. This is normally a high level position within the hotel holding much
responsibility and with all statutory and company regulations relating to the
health & safety, hygiene, conduct of employees, fire emergency procedures,
security of premises and of property.
A. Chambermaids.
B. Operations Manager.
C. Executive Housekeeper.
D. Duty Manager.
4. This department not only prepared clean guest rooms on a timely basis for
arriving guests, but, also cleans and maintains everything in the hotel.
A. Maintenance Department.
B. Housekeeping Department.
C. Engineering Department.
D. Guest Services Department.
5. This pertains to leadership and on-going supervision in housekeeping.
A. Precautions Act.
B. Economic Planning.
C. Quality Control.
D. Strategic Planning.

ANSWER KEY NO.: 1 / UC NO.: 1
1. B. Organizing.
2. A. Moments of Truth.
3. C. Executive Housekeeper.
4. B. Housekeeping Department.
5. C. Quality Control.

Program/ Course : HOUSEKEEPING NC III
Unit of Competency : Supervise Room Cleaning and Maintenance
Requirements
Module : Supervising Room Cleaning and Maintenance
Requirements
Learning Outcome No. 2: Monitor Cleanliness and Safety in the Workplace
Assessment Criteria:
2.1 Continuous monitoring of the cleanliness and safety of the workplace is done.
2.2 Housekeeping issues are raised with designated personnel in accordance with
workplace procedures.
2.3 Maintenance and storage of tools, equipment and supplies are monitored in
accordance with workplace standards.
2.4 Records are stored and maintained.
2.5 Emergency Management Plan is reviewed periodically.
References:
• Casado, Matt A. Housekeeping Management 2nd
Edition 2012. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
• Singh, Malini. Hotel Housekeeping 2012. Tata McGraw Hill Education Private,
Ltd.
• Andrews, Sudhir. Textbook of Hotel Housekeeping Management and
Operations 1st
Edition 2008. Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Limited.
• Boston Business School. Facilities and Accommodation Operations 2007.
Confederation of Tourism, Hotel, and Catering Management.
• Jones, Thomas J.A. Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations
4th
Edition 2005. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Websites:
o https://www.tutorialspoint.com/hotel_housekeeping/hotel_housekeepin
g_principles.htm
o https://smallbusiness.chron.com/emergency-disaster-plan-hospitality-
facility-78027.html
o https://setupmyhotel.com/train-my-hotel-staff/hk.html
o https://studygroom.com/important-documents-used-by-the-executive-
housekeeper/
o https://dem.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/demnvgov/content/Resources/Nevad
a%20Resort%20Hotel%20ERP%20Guide%20Final%20%20Draft%205
.11.2018.pdf
o https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-
05/CPG_101_V2_30NOV2010_FINAL_508.pdf
o https://www.ready.gov/business/implementation/emergency

INFORMATION SHEET NO.: 2 / UC NO.: 1
MONITOR CLEANLINESS AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
Introduction
Principles of Hotel Housekeeping
There are various principles followed by the
housekeeping staff. They are cleaning and
hygiene principles, safety and security
principles, comfort and privacy principles, and
finally, the decor. For understanding the
housekeeping principles, first let us go through
what advantages it offers to the hotel.
Advantages of Housekeeping
Here are some prominent advantages, the housekeeping department offers to its
guests:
• Clean and hygienic atmosphere.
• Comfortable and convenient stay.
• Privacy.
• Safety and security.
• Provision of amenities.
• Making guests Feel good.
Having seen the advantages, let us see the principles of housekeeping towards
providing these to the guests while working safely.
Purpose of Cleaning
Cleaning is conducted to remove harmful
bacteria present in the dust deposited on
the hotel property because of air pollution.
This may cause unhealthy effects on the
working staff as well as the guests.
Cleanliness reduces the threat of any
infections and offers comfortable stay to the
guests in the hotel.
Cleaning and Hygiene Principles
The worker must follow the given principles while cleaning:
• Carry out the cleaning procedures in sequence. Say, sweeping → Dusting →
Mopping/Suction Cleaning → Disinfecting → Air Freshening.
• Must take care while cleaning and polishing; not to damage various surfaces
and hamper their appearance.
• Should start cleaning from extreme inner end continuing towards exit.
• Should park the chambermaid’s trolley such that it leaves space for corridor
traffic.
• Must take proper precautions while handling cleaning equipment, detergents,
and guest luggage.
• Must remove hard water stains and spider webs as soon as they occur.
• Must never use guest room linen for cleaning or blocking room entry.

Safety and Security Principles
The workers must follow the safety rules mentioned below:
• Protect their body from harmful
chemicals by wearing thick gloves.
• Protect their eyes by wearing
masks or goggles if required.
• Must use caution sign to mark wet
floors.
• Clean spilled liquids immediately to
reduce chances of slipping.
• Handle cleaning chemicals carefully while transporting, disposing, or refilling
the containers.
• Mix any chemicals required in the presence of proper ventilation.
• Must not open unlabeled chemical containers.
• Use swivel head mops to avoid inappropriate body posture while cleaning.
• Wear close toe-non slip footwear while working.
• Use appropriate body postures while working to avoid cramps.
• Request for peer assistance while moving heavy loads such as furniture.
• Report to the supervisor in case of any accident due to mishandling of
flammable liquids or otherwise.
• Keep the guests safe with the help of security department.
• Keep the guests’ documents, ornaments, or other articles safe.
Comfort and Privacy Principles
The housekeeping staff must
follow the given principles
with regard to comfort and
privacy of the guest.
• Always remember
comfort and privacy of
the guests always
comes first.
• Clean the premises or rooms in the least destructive and disturbing manner.
• Enter the guest rooms by following appropriate procedure.
• Work towards the guests’ satisfaction.
Knowing and Handling Small Fire Hazards
The housekeeping staff needs to know various
types of fires and fire extinguishers. The staff
must be trained to handle small fires.
Fire is classified into the following types:
• Class A − Class A fire consists of ordinary
combustibles such as wood, paper, trash
or anything else that leaves ash behind. It
needs water under high pressure to
extinguish this fire.
• Class B − This fire occurs in inflammable liquids such as oil and grease, and
needs blankets or sand to extinguish.

• Class C − This fire occurs in electrical equipment. Use of non-conductive
agent is required for extinguishing this fire.
• Class K − Class K Fires are fires that involve cooking oils, grease or animal
fat and can be extinguished using Purple K, a typical agent found in kitchen
or galley extinguishers.
Fire Extinguishers
Soda Acid extinguisher is used to put out
Class A fire. It sprays the compound with
gaseous pressure. This is only good for small
intensity fires. For large intensity and widely
spread fire, water must be sprayed directly
on the affected area with high pressure
through the hoses.
For putting out Class B fires, Carbon Dioxide
extinguishers are used. Carbon Dioxide fog
extinguishers are well-places in case of small
Class C fires.
The housekeeping staff must place appropriate extinguishers near the fire prone
areas and must know to operate them under challenging conditions.
Importance of Decor in Housekeeping
The housekeeping staff is responsible for creating pleasant ambience in the hotel.
This needs aesthetic sense and an eye for detail. A guest is keen to visit the hotel if
he finds classy and catchy ambience with fresh air.
Housekeeping staff must intelligently use artificial waterfalls, large vases with neat
and eye-catching flower arrangements, paintings, wall pieces, murals, lighting with
appropriate luminance, candles, electric lamps or any rare antic pieces.

The housekeeping staff is required to know various materials such as wood, organic
and artificial fibers, stone, sand, glass, plastic, and pigments to maintain the
expensive hotel property.
Hotel decors can be conducted thematically depending on the local/international
prominent festivals and cultures. Décor is yet another important task that elevates
guests’ experience with the hotel.
STANDARDS/GUIDELINES: RULES FOR HOUSEKEEPERS
The housekeepers represent the hotel staff and
create an image of the hotel by working towards
keeping the hotel at high standards plus
conducting themselves well while on job. There
are certain rules the housekeepers need to
follow.
The housekeepers must:
• Enter the floor with clean and tidy uniform, in a properly groomed manner.
• Only use the service lifts.
• Speak to the other working staff only when necessary.
• Not walk by stamping the feet, run, or jump in the hotel premises.
• Eat only in meal hours, not while cleaning.
• Stand outside the guest room while speaking to the guest to respect their
privacy.
• Always keep the room doors open while cleaning.
• Greet the guests with smile according to the time of the day.
• Never answer the guest room phone.
• Never use guest room phone of floor desk phones for making private calls.
• Never use guest bathrooms.
• Familiarize themselves with the faces of guests. This is especially important
for the security purpose.
• Never use a guest room for unauthorized person.
• Not accept any gift from the guests and politely deny them. If the guest insists
to take and feels offended on denial, then mention the gift to the floor
supervisor who can permit the attendant to take the gift out of the hotel.
Cleaning Equipment and Cleaning Agents
Only 5 to 10% of the cost of cleaning is spent on cleaning equipment and agents (the
rest being labour), but they play a major role in the cleaning process. The
housekeeper should endeavour to provide those which make cleaning easier for her
staff, save time and obtain a satisfactory result.
Choice of Equipment
The housekeeper has a great responsibility
when choosing equipment since a poor
choice can prove less efficient than desired
and more costly than it should be. It is
necessary to be able to justify its use in terms
of saving time and labour, hence the saving
of money, and of its efficiency in obtaining a
good result.

An expensive piece of equipment not used frequently is a waste of money and so a
dual purpose machine might be considered, e.g. scrubbing/polishing machine. An
alternative to buying would be to hire the equipment.
In general when choosing cleaning equipment, the following points may be
considered:
• Safety factors;
• Ease of operation an cleaning;
• Work performance (finished result);
• Saving of time and labour; durability;
• Appropriate design, size and weight;
• Versatility;
• Maneuverability and portability;
• Noise;
• Storage;
• Maintenance and servicing arrangements;
• Reputation of company;
• Initial and operating costs.
Care of Equipment
Having selected and bought good equipment it is up to the housekeeper to see that it
is properly looked after. This means that training and good supervisions are
necessary and she should ensure that the staff:
• Use it properly;
• Store it correctly;
• Are given time to clean it;
• Realize the importance of reporting faults promptly.
Regular servicing is necessary for all electrical equipment; flex and plug defects and
unusual working noises should be reported immediately, and unqualified persons
should not try their hands at repairs.
Storage and Replenishment of Cleaning Agents
Stores may be obtained by staff:
• Going to a main store run by a
Storekeeper; the cleaning
materials are issued to the
individual maid or cleaner at
set times when the rule of “new
for old” or “full for empty” may
be applied;
• Making out requisition lists
which are handed in for the
housekeeper to countersign
and the items are collected
later from the stores by a
porter or maids;

• Going at set times of the day for their replenishments or renewals to a
housekeeping store kept under lock and key, which is the responsibility of an
assistant housekeeper;
• Who may have their stock of supplies “topped up” by a house porter several
times a week;
• Who may collect their box of cleaning materials from the housekeeping stores
or even the linen room daily en route to their sections; when the maids finish
their work the supplies are returned to the same place to be replenished for
the next day.
From the great variety of cleaning agents
available the Executive Housekeeper will
normally supply a maid with a suitable:
• Detergent.
• Scouring liquid.
• WC cleanser.
• Mirror cleanser.
• Furniture polish.
• Air freshener
In the housekeeping stores there will be other cleaning agents, e.g. lime stain
remover, available when required and a variety of cloths. The usual cloths needed by
a maid are:
• Swab, sponge or disposable cloth.
• Floor cloth.
• Basin and glass cloths.
• Dusters.
• Polishing rags.
When buying cleaning agents, powdered items and liquid detergents, they may be
bought in bulk; this involves the issuing of small quantities in suitable containers,
when it is possible with careless handling for wastage and mess to occur.
Although there may be an economy of
money when buying in bulk, wastage of
materials can occur, and there is much
more time involved in the issuing of broken
quantities. All containers should be clearly
labelled. New types of cleaning agents
should always be well tried out in small
quantities before a bulk order is placed.
Toilet paper is ordered by the gross and often arrangements are made for deliveries
to come automatically, unless otherwise requested. When ordering: the type of
fitment must be remembered, and this may be for inter-leaved or roll-type paper. The
paper may be thin and smooth or soft tissue, and in many instances both kinds are
provided in the same toilet.

In all cases involving storage, rotation of stock should be practiced, and items which
are little used should obviously be bought in smaller quantities.
Where the items are requisitioned from a
main store, a stock list kept by the
housekeeper is not so important; but where
deliveries are made direct to the
housekeeping department, a much more
careful check of stock is necessary in order
to prevent waste and running out of stock.
The frequency with which stocktaking is done varies from establishment to
establishment. Where items are bought in bulk, unless there are large scales, actual
stock cannot be taken, so in a housekeeping store the stock of these items is an
estimated amount.
Part of a stores sheet could be as shown in the table below.
Part of a Stores Sheet
Item Unit
Stock
in
Hand
Receipts Total
Less
Issues
Book
Stock
Actual
Stock
Discrepancies
Air
freshener
Tins
Detergents,
liquid
Litres
Dusters Each
Mirror
cleansers
Bottles
Polish
furniture
Tins
Comparison of the book and actual stock may lead to the discovery of discrepancies
which should be investigated. These may be due to poor bookkeeping, careless
issuing or pilfering.
All businesses should establish controls for the storage of chemicals. The following
guidelines should be followed:
• All chemicals should be routinely kept under lock and key.
• Manufacturer guidelines should be strictly adhered to when storing and
handling chemicals.
• A system of inventory should be established and followed.
Handling Chemicals
The following is a list of rules chemical suppliers recommend:
• Always follow the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Chemical supplies are given out under supervision.
• Maintain information and posters outlining accident procedures for the
cleaning agents used.
• Provide a supply of gloves, goggles and other safety equipment for the
refilling of containers used by staff.

• Ensure all spillage is cleaned up immediately.
• Check the use by date of cleaning products.
• Never mix cleaning agents.
Service Rooms
In hotels chambermaids have a service room where they
keep their equipment, cleaning agents and other
necessities for their work, and it should be large enough to
house the trolley if used. In other establishments articles
may be stored in a cupboard.
In any establishment some or all of the following may be provided:
• A sink with hot and cold water and a draining board;
• A floor sink, similar to a shower tray, with the taps so positioned that buckets
and other containers (e.g. Floor mopping and scrubbing equipment) can be
filled and emptied easily;
• Electric or gas water boiler, or large kettle with some means of heating it;
• Table and chair;
• Cupboard or shelves for early morning tea-trays and china;
• Cupboard for floor linen stock;
• Rail for drying tea towels and dusters;
• Storage space for cleaning equipment and cleaning agents;
• Rubbish bin or disposable paper sack;
• Space for maid's trolley if used.
A small supply of toothbrushes (including those for
electric holders), toothpaste and sanitary supplies
may be kept for sale to guests when required.
These may be kept under lock and key by the
housekeeper along with supplies for “do-it-yourself”
tea and coffee making.
In addition to the cleaning cloths and agents there
will be other items required in the department for
the use of the guests or staff, especially in hotels.
The following is a list of some of these items which
may be kept in the housekeeping stores:
• Toilet soap.
• Drawer lining paper.
• Writing paper.
• Coat hangers.
• Disclaimer notices.
• Electric blankets.
• Electric razors.
• Electric toothbrushes for hire.
• Book matches.
• Paper tissues.
• Impregnated paper shoe
shiners.
• Brochures.
• “Do Not Disturb” signs.
• Tooth glasses.
• Hot water bottles.
• Bed pan and urine bottle.

Other accessories put into guests rooms according to house custom (“give-aways” or
guests' supplies) e.g., toiletries, sachets of detergent, shower caps, mending kits,
bottled water.
Cleaning Routines
Any establishment has to
present an inviting, clean and
well-cared-for appearance at all
times, and the cleaning should
be carried out at a time when it
will cause as little inconvenience
as possible. Thus the public
rooms and offices are cleaned
by maids before breakfast when
there is less activity.
In some establishments, the public rooms are cleaned during the night by the night
porter and only the final dusting is left for the maids. Contract cleaners may be
employed in some instances, working either late at night or first thing in the morning.
During the day, in hotels, the lounge is normally looked after by the lounge waiter or
one of the uniformed staff regarding papers, ashtrays and cushions etc, and the
housekeeper inspects the area at intervals.
A chambermaid works from a service room or pantry, where she keeps her
equipment (generally marked with her name, number of the floor or section),
cleaning agents and other necessities for her work. She may share the room with
one or more other maids and when their work is finished the door should be locked.
The room should be easily cleaned, with as few things on the floor as possible.
Depending on the establishment, cleaning
routines varies. In some hotels the
chambermaids are responsible for floor service
throughout the day.
In this case it is usual for the prepared tray and
food to come direct from the kitchen, the dirty
trays are sent back there and the room maid is
not concerned with the washing-up.
Corridors and staircases are not normally cleaned before breakfast in case guests
might be disturbed, and chambermaids should realize that noise, e.g. shouting,
raucous laughter, the banging of equipment and the clatter of crockery, must be
avoided at all times.
Guests should be inconvenienced as little as possible and their belongings should
only be moved when necessary. Drawers should not be opened by a maid in an
occupied room, although clothes may be hung in the wardrobe. On no account
should a chambermaid try on jewellery or make use of any of the guests' personal
belongings, such as cosmetics. Newspapers, unless in the wastepaper basket;
should not be thrown away.

It has been customary for chambermaids to leave the door ajar while they are
working in a room (this gives the appearance that everything is above board), and as
the door is normally opposite the window, care should be taken to avoid articles
being blown off the dressing table by the curtain.
However some hotels now consider that for
security reasons the chambermaid should have
the door closed. Equipment and cleaning agents
should not be left untidily in the corridor for
people to trip over, nor should they ever be
placed on the bed or on upholstered furniture
and, where it is used, a trolley outside the door
indicates that the maid is in the room. In some
hotels, there may be a “chambermaid finder”
device outside each door, and the maid
operates this to denote that she is in the room.
Rooms at any one time may be occupied (let), vacated (guest has left) or vacant (not
occupied last night) and the amount of cleaning given to each room will vary.
All require a comfortable, clean and presentable appearance and the work to be
done in an occupied room will be enough to maintain this image. This work is known
as a “daily clean”.
In a vacated room all signs of the previous guest have to be removed and the room
made ready for a new arrival; this entails a special clean and obviously takes longer
than a daily clean.
Daily Routines
A daily routine is normally carried out
by a chambermaid during one visit to a
room; but in some instances she may
do one job throughout a number of
rooms before returning to the first
room to do the next job throughout,
and so on until the work is completed.
This cleaning routine (block cleaning) is more suited to establishments where it is
known that the rooms are likely to be empty for at least all the morning and this
method does present security risks.
It is usual to give a special or more thorough clean to occupied rooms when guests
have stayed for some days, as well as to vacate rooms before re-letting. This entails
giving attention to carpet edges, upholstery, furniture, paintwork etc. Like the daily
clean, this special clean may be carried out by the maid on one visit to the room, as
would be required in a vacated room, Or it may be more convenient in some cases
to add one or two jobs to the daily routine, so completing the special clean within a
few days. For example:
• Monday – daily work and polishing furniture.

• Tuesday – daily work and carpet edges and upholstery.
• Wednesday – daily work and paintwork.
In many hotels the number of occupied, vacated and vacant rooms in any one
section varies daily, while in hostels, homes and long-stay hospitals the numbers
remain relatively constant. Thus in hotels particularly, workloads vary from day to
day.
When considering the timing of room cleaning, some cleaning is necessary every
day, more thorough cleaning should take place approximately weekly, and a very
special clean is necessary periodically.
Spring Cleaning
Periodic cleaning is often referred to as
spring cleaning or annual cleaning and is
carried out at predetermined frequencies',
depending on the policy of the establishment.
It may be monthly or annually, or any
frequency in between. Obviously the less
frequent that the periodic clean is, the more
extensive it needs to be.
All rooms in time require a complete overhaul and many establishments have a
spring or annual cleaning programme which may coincide with the planned schedule
for redecoration or the wash down of walls and ceilings.
The annual clean in a seasonal establishment is carried out when it is closed and in
others at convenient times depending on occupancy. These times will vary according
to the type of establishment, e.g. resort hotels are probably busier at weekends, city
hotels during the week; and the exact dates will have to be agreed with reception,
maintenance and contract cleaning; security and the laundry (where it is on the
premises) will also have to be informed. In some cases, generally depending on the
work to be carried out, a whole floor or wing of rooms may be taken 'off' for several
days, so that the cleaning may be undertaken.
Orders of Work
In order to help maids in their work and the
Executive Housekeeper in training them, it is
possible for orders of work, incorporating work
simplification, to be planned. It is a simple
matter to plan an order of work for cleaning a
specific article, e.g. a wash basin, but difficulties
arise when it comes to rooms, as they vary so
much, in addition to the fact that they may be
occupied, vacated or vacant.
In general it should be remembered that:
• Sweeping with a broom is done before dusting, and dusting before vacuum
cleaning;

• Dusting is done from high to low; vertical surfaces, e.g. Walls, need sweeping
occasionally with a wall broom or suction cleaner;
• Bending with stiff knees should be avoided;
• Where there are alternative methods of cleaning, the least harmful ones
should be used;
• Cleaning methods should be efficient but also economical of time, labour and
cleaning materials.
A very simple order of work for any area could be:
• Open windows where possible.
• Remove litter and dirty crockery.
• Attend to main jobs, e.g. bed, fireplace.
• Sweep if required.
• Dust and if necessary dry mop.
• Vacuum clean carpet and upholstery.
• Spot clean the carpet and paintwork as
necessary.
• Survey the room.
The orders of work for the cleaning of several articles and different types of rooms
differs between operations, but it must be stressed that there will probably be
adjustments necessary in differing circumstances. Before starting the work it is
expected that chambermaids will have been instructed regarding the necessary
equipments and supplies needed for the job.
Order of work for the annual, spring or periodic cleaning of a bedroom:
• Ventilate room.
• Strip bed and deal accordingly with linen and bedding.
• Strip the room of loose furnishings and small articles,
including lamp shades, pictures, etc.
• Vacuum clean and cover bed and upholstered furniture.
• Vacuum clean carpet, then cover or take up.
• Wipe or wash furniture inside and out.
• Stack and cover furniture or remove from room.
• The room can now be redecorated or washed down.
• Sweep walls and floor.
• Wash paintwork and have windows cleaned.
• Thoroughly clean wash basin.
• Have carpet re-laid or uncovered and vacuum clean it, shampoo if necessary.
• Have curtains re-hung.
• Remove dustsheets, reline drawers, polish furniture and if necessary
reposition it.
• Return cleaned small articles and put in place.
• Make bed with clean linen and bedding.
• If there is a surround, mop and polish it.
• Finally dust, mop if necessary and vacuum clean carpet.
• Survey room and close door.

During the preliminary preparation, repairs of all kinds (whether to furniture, floors,
plumbing or electrical fittings) will be noted and either dealt with in situ or the articles
removed to be repaired elsewhere.
In a hotel, house porters or valet-porters will help the maids with some of the jobs
handymen available to help with high and heavy jobs. Annual cleaning of lounges is
carried out in a similar way.
Security
Security is not the prerogative of any one
person in an establishment; all staff should be
security minded and report anything of a
suspicious nature. Staff should realize the
necessity of not giving information regarding
internal matters to such persons as enquiry
agents, newspaper reporters, etc.
Most large establishments, e.g. hotels and hospitals, have one or more security
officers on their staff to prevent crime and to protect guests and their staff from such
dangers as theft, bomb threat, fire or assault. In smaller hotels the responsibility for
security will be the hotel manager's, and in other establishments will be that of the
manager's equivalent.
The Executive Housekeeper and her staff are about the building perhaps more than
many other staff and must be aware of the ways in which they can be security
minded. If a thief wants to get into a room, he may gain admittance by telling the
maid he has:
• A repair to carry out.
• Come to collect the television set or other articles.
• Flowers to deliver to a certain room.
• Forgotten his key.
Therefore, a chambermaid should be instructed
to keep a look out for, and report as soon as
possible, any suspicious characters and be
warned against opening doors for strangers;
when such requests are made she must say that
she cannot unlock the door, but will fetch the
Executive Housekeeper or Supervisor who
should check the name of the guest with
reception.
Chambermaids should be instructed to lock all doors on leaving a room and to
remove all keys left in doors immediately they are seen and hand them to a
housekeeper who will return them according to house custom.
Security of Keys
Since management has certain responsibilities for the safety of the
guests' belongings, the proper care of keys is a very important
aspect of security.

Individual heads of departments are responsible for all the keys in their areas and
the Executive Housekeeper probably has control of more keys than any other
departmental head. In a hotel there are grandmaster, master, sub-master and
individual room keys.
The Grandmaster Key
This key:
• Opens all doors and, in addition, double locks them
against all other keys; overrides the catch put on by the
guest for privacy in the room – a precaution necessary
in case of an emergency, e.g. Illness or injury;
• Is used when access to a room has to be prevented, e.g. In the case of death;
is used when a guest leaves his belongings in his room and goes away for a
night or two;
• Is used when a guest does not leave his key at reception and the guest needs
to be seen by the manager for some special reason;
• Is held by the Security Officer, General Manager, and Duty Manager and
sometimes by the Executive Housekeeper.
Master Key
This key will:
• Open all rooms in the house;
• Be carried by assistant housekeepers and floor service waiters while on duty,
and sometimes by maintenance staff.
Sub-Master Key
This key:
• Opens all rooms in a chambermaid's section;
• Is signed for at the start of work;
• Is attached to a belt round the maid's waist and should
never leave her person;
• Should never be lent to anyone;
• Is handed in when the chambermaid goes off duty.
Last thing at night, the duty Executive Housekeeper checks the return of all keys and
locks them away for the night. It is generally written into staff terms of contract that
the loss of any master key will lead to dismissal of the employee.
Individual Room Key
On being shown to a room a guest is given a key
with a room number and the name of the hotel
on the tag. Guests are asked to hand in their
keys when they go out and the keys are then put
on a key-board which should be out of view of
passers-by as another security precaution. A key
not on the key-board should indicate that the
guest is in the hotel; this information can be
useful in the case of an emergency.

The mastering of locks is necessary but it should be realized that when locks are
mastered a certain amount of security is lost and great care should be taken in the
allocation of keys to responsible persons, emphasizing the need for the utmost care
in their protection and use at all times. It may be possible to zone rooms so that not
all parts of the establishment are in jeopardy should a master key be lost.
Key Thefts
The locks in hotels are generally spring-operated mortice lock but to overcome the
problem of key thefts, keyless lock systems have been devised. They are expensive
but are in use in some hotels. They may be computerized but there is also a less
expensive battery-powered lock system, with an infra-red device which reads the
guests' cards. A disposable plastic card about the size of a conventional credit card
replaces the normal metal room key. One of these cards is given to each guest on
checking in.
In the computerized system the card is coded by perforations at
random from a pool of more than four billion potential codes
available from a master computer console at the front desk. The
random code is then transmitted electronically to the specific
guest's room lock and only this particular card can open that
room door.
When the guest checks out, the code on that room is changed and a new guest will
receive a new code on his new check-in card; the old card automatically becomes
useless. Similar cards may be coded as master keys for the chambermaids and
Executive Housekeepers and changed at frequent intervals at reception.
Re-keying lock systems may also help to overcome the problem of key thefts and a
new system allows the lock to be changed quickly and easily without having to take
the tumbler apart, without removing the lock from the door and without entering the
room. The lock is changed by using a special key which instantly changes the
tumbler.
Other Security Measures
The Executive Housekeeper is
responsible for the reporting of faulty
window catches etc, and at night should
ensure that all French windows and
balcony doors are securely locked and
that panic bars on fire exit doors are
adjusted to enable no entry from outside. In hotels baby sitters may be arranged by
the Executive Housekeeper and may be members of the staff or from an agency and
both should have a written permit from the Executive Housekeeper authorizing them
to be “on the floors”; those from an agency will normally collect the permit from the
hall porter as they come into the hotel.
Inventories, stock lists etc kept by the Executive Housekeeper should help in
discovering the loss of items, e.g. linen, cleaning equipment, etc, through pilfering
and as a result investigations should take place.

The Executive Housekeeper and her staff should co-operate fully
with the security officer over house security regulations. All
should realize the need to refrain from gossiping to outside
friends and from giving information regarding internal matters to
such persons as enquiry agents, newspaper reporters etc.
For security reasons the Executive Housekeeper selects her staff
carefully and prospective new members of staff should be asked
for the names and addresses of one or two persons to whom
reference can be made, and testimonials should not be relied on.
In taking up references, it is wise, if possible, to talk on the telephone rather than to
expect former employers to commit themselves on paper.
Emergency Management Plan (EMP)
An Emergency Management Plan for a Hospitality Facility
Disasters can strike at any time with little
warning and catch owners, employees and
quests of small hotels, motels and
restaurants by complete surprise. People
might have to react quickly to escape a
dangerous situation and find protection and
safety. Having a plan in place to handle a
disaster can mitigate the damage to people
and property.
Determine Risks
The owners of a small hospitality operation,
such as a motel, should assess want types
of disasters could reasonably be expected
to affect their property.
Tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding and hurricanes are common in particular regions
of the country. Chemical manufacturers usually carry the threat of a spill or an
explosion. Fire and terrorism are universal concerns. Identifying potential threats
helps to establish the foundation for an emergency response plan.
Safety
The primary purpose of a disaster preparedness plan is to
ensure the safety of guests and employees. In case of fire,
the first step is move them away from the flames, heat and
smoke. A plan should take into account those who have
disabilities that inhibit their mobility and may need
assistance evacuating an area. Well-marked evacuation
routes can help people navigate to safety on their own.
Emergency services should be contacted immediately for
assistance. A motel owner should also plan for a region-
wide disaster -- such as a flood happening -- that might
hamper the ability of emergency personnel to respond.

Business Concerns
Protecting sensitive and valuable information is a common concern during a
disaster. A small business cannot afford to be closed very long. Securing company
records and customer information can help a small business recover. Duplicate
copies of the information should be made regularly and stored off-site to help a
business get back on its feet.
Training
An emergency plan has a better chance of being successful if the proper amount of
training is done before an emergency. Teaching staff members what is to be
expected of them in the case of a disaster should help them perform better in hectic
situations. Training can be done in conjunction with emergency services to give
them advance awareness of the motel or restaurant layout and where people will
normally be located. This can help emergency workers do their jobs and increase
the likelihood that people will be kept safe.
Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
The actions taken in the initial minutes of an emergency are critical. A prompt
warning to employees to evacuate, shelter or lockdown can save lives. A call for help
to public emergency services that provides full and accurate information will help the
dispatcher send the right responders and equipment. An employee trained to
administer first aid or perform CPR can be lifesaving. Action by employees with
knowledge of building and process systems can help control a leak and minimize
damage to the facility and the environment.

The first step when developing an emergency response plan is to conduct a risk
assessment to identify potential emergency scenarios. An understanding of what can
happen will enable you to determine resource requirements and to develop plans
and procedures to prepare your business. The emergency plan should be consistent
with your performance objectives.
At the very least, every facility should develop and implement an emergency plan for
protecting employees, visitors, contractors and anyone else in the facility. This part
of the emergency plan is called “protective actions for life safety” and includes
building evacuation (“fire drills”), sheltering from severe weather such as tornadoes,
“shelter-in-place” from an exterior airborne hazard such as a chemical release and
lockdown. Lockdown is protective action when faced with an act of violence.
When an emergency occurs, the first priority is
always life safety. The second priority is the
stabilization of the incident. There are many
actions that can be taken to stabilize an incident
and minimize potential damage. First aid and
CPR by trained employees can save lives. Use
of fire extinguishers by trained employees can
extinguish a small fire. Containment of a small
chemical spill and supervision of building
utilities and systems can minimize damage to a
building and help prevent environmental damage.
Some severe weather events can be forecast hours before they arrive, providing
valuable time to protect a facility. A plan should be established and resources should
be on hand, or quickly, available to prepare a facility. The plan should also include a
process for damage assessment, salvage, protection of undamaged property and
cleanup following an incident. These actions to minimize further damage and
business disruption are examples of property conservation.
Guidance for the development of an emergency response plan can be found in this
step.
Protective Actions for Life Safety
When there is a hazard within a
building such as a fire or chemical
spill, occupants within the building
should be evacuated or relocated to
safety. Other incidents such as a
bomb threat or receipt of a suspicious
package may also require evacuation.
If a tornado warning is broadcast,
everyone should be moved to the
strongest part of the building and
away from exterior glass.
If a transportation accident on a nearby highway results in the release of a chemical
cloud, the fire department may warn to “shelter-in-place.” To protect employees from

an act of violence, “lockdown” should be broadcast and everyone should hide or
barricade themselves from the perpetrator.
Protective actions for life safety include:
• Evacuation.
• Sheltering.
• Shelter-In-Place.
• Lockdown.
Your emergency plan should include these protective actions. If you are an
employee in multi-function building, coordinate planning with the building manager.
Evacuation
Prompt evacuation of employees requires a warning system that can be heard
throughout the building. Test your fire alarm system to determine if it can be heard
by all employees. If there is no fire alarm system, use a public address system, air
horns or other means to warn everyone to evacuate. Sound the evacuation signal
during planned drills so employees are familiar with the sound.
Make sure that there are sufficient exits available at all times.
• Check to see that there are at least two exits from hazardous areas on every
floor of every building. Building or fire codes may require more exits for larger
buildings.
• Walk around the building and verify that exits are
marked with exit signs and there is sufficient lighting so
people can safely travel to an exit. If you find anything
that blocks an exit, have it removed.
• Enter every stairwell, walk down the stairs, and open
the exit door to the outside. Continue walking until you
reach a safe place away from the building. Consider
using this safe area as an assembly area for evacuees.
Appoint an evacuation team leader and assign employees to direct evacuation of the
building. Assign at least one person to each floor to act as a “floor warden” to direct
employees to the nearest safe exit. Assign a backup in case the floor warden is not
available or if the size of the floor is very large. Ask employees if they would need
any special assistance evacuating or moving to shelter. Assign a “buddy” or aide to
assist persons with disabilities during an emergency. Contact the fire department to
develop a plan to evacuate persons with disabilities.
Have a list of employees and maintain a visitor log at the front
desk, reception area or main office area. Assign someone to take
the lists to the assembly area when the building is evacuated.
Use the lists to account for everyone and inform the fire
department whether everyone has been accounted for. When
employees are evacuated from a building, OSHA
regulations require an accounting to ensure that everyone has
gotten out safely. A fire, chemical spill or other hazard may block
an exit, so make sure the evacuation team can direct employees
to an alternate safe exit.

Sheltering
If a tornado warning is broadcast, a distinct warning signal should be sounded and
everyone should move to shelter in the strongest part of the building. Shelters may
include basements or interior rooms with reinforced masonry construction. Evaluate
potential shelters and conduct a drill to see whether shelter space can hold all
employees. Since there may be little time to shelter when a tornado is approaching,
early warning is important. If there is a severe thunderstorm, monitor news sources
in case a tornado warning is broadcast.
Consider purchasing an Emergency Alert
System radio - available at many electronic
stores. Tune in to weather warnings broadcast
by local radio and television stations. Subscribe
to free text and email warnings, which are
available from multiple news and weather
resources on the Internet.
Shelter-In-Place
A tanker truck crashes on a nearby highway releasing a chemical cloud. A large
column of black smoke billows into the air from a fire in a nearby manufacturing
plant. If, as part of this event, an explosion, or act of terrorism has occurred, public
emergency officials may order people in the vicinity to “shelter-in-place.” You should
develop a shelter-in-place plan. The plan should include a means to warn everyone
to move away from windows and move to the core of the building. Warn anyone
working outside to enter the building immediately.
Move everyone to the second and higher floors in a
multi-story building. Avoid occupying the basement.
Close exterior doors and windows and shut down the
building’s air handling system. Have everyone remain
sheltered until public officials broadcast that it is safe
to evacuate the building.
Lockdown
An act of violence in the workplace could occur without warning. If loud “pops” are
heard and gunfire is suspected, every employee should know to hide and remain
silent. They should seek refuge in a room, close and lock the door, and barricade the
door if it can be done quickly. They should be trained to hide under a desk, in the
corner of a room and away from the door or windows. Multiple people should be
trained to broadcast a lockdown warning from a safe location.
Resources for Protective Actions for Life Safety
In addition to the following resources available on the Internet, seek guidance from
your local fire department, police department, and emergency management agency.
• Exit Routes and Emergency Planning – U.S. Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910 Subpart E.
• NFPA 101: Life Safety Code® – National Fire Protection Association.
• Employee Alarm Systems – OSHA 29 CFR 1910.165.
• Evacuation Planning Matrix – OSHA.
• Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool – OSHA.

• Design Guidance for Shelters and Safe Rooms – Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA 453).
Incident Stabilization
Stabilizing an emergency may involve many different
actions including: fire-fighting, administering medical
treatment, rescue, containing a spill of hazardous
chemicals or handling a threat or act of violence. When
you dial 9-1-1 you expect professionals to respond to
your facility. Depending upon the response time and
capabilities of public emergency services and the
hazards and resources within your facility, you may
choose to do more to prepare for these incidents.
Regulations may require you to take action before
emergency services arrive.
If you choose to do nothing more than call for help and evacuate, you should still
prepare an emergency plan that includes prompt notification of emergency services,
protective actions for life safety and accounting of all employees.
Developing the Emergency Plan
Developing an emergency plan begins with an understanding of what can happen.
Review your risk assessment. Consider the performance objectives that you
established for your program and decide how much you want to invest in planning
beyond what is required by regulations.
Assess what resources are available for
incident stabilization. Consider internal
resources and external resources including
public emergency services and contractors.
Public emergency services include fire
departments that may also provide rescue,
hazardous materials and emergency medical
services. If not provided by your local fire
department, these services may be provided
by another department, agency or even a private contractor. Reach out to local law
enforcement to coordinate planning for security related threats.
Document all available resources. Determine whether external resources have the
information they would need to handle an emergency. If not, determine what
information is required and be sure to document that information in your plan.
Prepare emergency procedures for foreseeable hazards and threats. Review the list
of hazards presented at the bottom of the page. Develop hazard and threat specific
procedures using guidance from the resource links at the end of this unit.
Warning, Notifications, and Communications
Plans should define the most appropriate protective action for each hazard to ensure
the safety of employees and others within the building. Determine how you will warn
building occupants to take protective action. Develop protocols and procedures to

alert first responders including public emergency services, trained employees and
management. Identify how you will communicate with management and
employees during and following an emergency.
Roles and Responsibilities for Building Management and Facility Managers
Assign personnel the responsibility of controlling
access to the emergency scene and for keeping
people away from unsafe areas. Others should
be familiar with the locations and functions of
controls for building utility, life safety and
protection systems.
These systems include ventilation, electrical,
water and sanitary systems; emergency power supplies; detection, alarm,
communication and warning systems; fire suppression systems; pollution control and
containment systems; and security and surveillance systems. Personnel should be
assigned to operate or supervise these systems as directed by public emergency
services if they are on-site.
Site and Facility Plans and Information
Public emergency services have limited knowledge
about your facility and its hazards. Therefore, it is
important to document information about your
facility. That information is vital to ensure
emergency responders can safely stabilize an
incident that may occur. Documentation of building
systems may also prove valuable when a utility
system fails—such as when a water pipe breaks
and no one knows how to shut off the water.
Compile a site-plan and plans for each floor of each building. Plans should show the
layout of access roads, parking areas, buildings on the property, building entrances,
the locations of emergency equipment and the locations of controls for building utility
and protection systems. Instructions for operating all systems and equipment should
be accessible to emergency responders.
Provide a copy of the plan to the public
emergency services that would respond
to your facility and others with
responsibility for building management
and security.
Store the plan with other emergency planning information such as chemical Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which are required by Hazard Communication or “right
to know” regulations.
Training and Exercises
Train personnel so they are familiar with detection, alarm, communications, warning
and protection systems. Review plans with staff to ensure they are familiar with their
role and can carry out assigned responsibilities. Conduct evacuation, sheltering,

sheltering-in-place and lockdown drills so employees will recognize the sound used
to warn them and they will know what to do. Facilitate exercises to practice the plan,
familiarize personnel with the plan and identify any gaps or deficiencies in the plan.
10 Steps for Developing the Emergency Response Plan
1. Review performance objectives for the program.
2. Review hazard or threat scenarios identified during the risk assessment.
3. Assess the availability and capabilities of resources for incident stabilization
including people, systems and equipment available within your business and
from external sources.
4. Talk with public emergency services (e.g., fire, police and emergency medical
services) to determine their response time to your facility, knowledge of your
facility and its hazards and their capabilities to stabilize an emergency at your
facility.
5. Determine if there are any regulations pertaining to emergency planning at
your facility; address applicable regulations in the plan.
6. Develop protective actions for life safety (evacuation, shelter, shelter-in-place,
lockdown).
7. Develop hazard and threat-specific emergency procedures using
the Emergency Response Plan for Businesses.
8. Coordinate emergency planning with public emergency services to stabilize
incidents involving the hazards at your facility.
9. Train personnel so they can fulfill their roles and responsibilities.
10.Facilitate exercises to practice your plan.
Links to Emergency Planning Information
• Pre-Incident Planning (Site and
Building Information for First
Responders)
o Fire Service Features of Buildings
and Fire Protection Systems – U.S.
Occupational Safety & Health
Administration (OSHA) Publication
3256-07N.
o Standard on Pre-Incident Planning
– National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 1620.
Protective Actions for Life Safety
• Evacuation Planning Matrix – OSHA.
• Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool – OSHA.
• Design Guidance for Shelters and Safe Rooms.
Medical
• CPR and ECC Guidelines - American Heart Association.
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) – OSHA.
• Blood-borne pathogens – OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030.
• Model Plans and Programs for the OSHA Blood-borne Pathogens and Hazard
Communications Standards – OSHA Publication 3186.

Fire-fighting
• Fire Protection – OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart L.
• Fire Brigades – OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156.
• Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades – NFPA 600.
Hazardous Materials
• Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide (NRT-1) – U.S. National
Response Team.
Natural Hazards
• National Hurricane Center, Publications, Tropical Cyclone Advisory Mailing
Lists, Hurricane Preparedness, The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
(Experimental) – National Weather Service (NWS).
• Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Lightning, Nature's Most Violent Storms: A
Preparedness Guide, Including Tornado Safety Information for Schools –
NOAA, National Weather Service.
• Tornado Protection: Selecting Refuge Area in Buildings – FEMA 431.
Rescue
• Permit-Required Confined Spaces – OSHA 29 CFR
1910.146.
• Standard for Rescue Technician Professional Qualifications – NFPA 1006.
• Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue
Incidents – NFPA 1670.
Workplace Violence
• Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners – United
States Office of Personnel Management.
• Workplace Violence—Issues in Response – Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Terrorism, Bomb Threats, and Suspicious Packages
• Ensuring Building Security – DHS.
• Safe Rooms and Shelters – Protecting People Against Terrorist Attacks –
FEMA 453.
• Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical,
Biological, or Radiological Attacks – National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, Publication No. 2002-139, 2002.
Hazards to Consider When Developing the Emergency Plan
Natural Hazards
Geological Hazards
• Earthquake.
• Tsunami.
• Volcano.
• Landslide, mudslide, subsidence.
Meteorological Hazards
• Flood, flash flood, tidal surge.
• Water control structure/dam/levee failure.

• Drought.
• Snow, ice, hail, sleet, arctic freeze.
• Windstorm, tropical cyclone, hurricane, tornado, dust storm.
• Extreme temperatures (heat, cold).
• Lightning strikes (wild land fire following).
Biological Hazards
• Food-borne illnesses.
• Pandemic/Infectious/communicable disease (Avian flu, H1N1, etc.).
Human-Caused Events
Accidental
• Hazardous material spill or
release.
• Nuclear power plant incident (if
located in proximity to a nuclear
power plant).
• Explosion/Fire.
• Transportation accident.
• Building/structure collapse.
• Entrapment and or rescue (machinery, confined space, high angle, water).
• Transportation Incidents (motor vehicle, railroad, watercraft, aircraft, pipeline).
Intentional
• Robbery.
• Lost person, child abduction, kidnap, extortion, hostage
incident, workplace violence.
• Demonstrations, civil disturbance.
• Bomb threat, suspicious package.
• Terrorism.
Technology Caused Events
• Utility interruption or failure (telecommunications,
electrical power, water, gas, steam, HVAC, pollution
control system, sewerage system, other critical
infrastructure).
• Cyber security (data corruption/theft, loss of electronic data interchange or
ecommerce, loss of domain name server, spyware/malware, vulnerability
exploitation/botnets/hacking, denial of service).
Property Conservation
Taking action before a forecast event, such as a severe
storm, can prevent damage. Prompt damage
assessment and cleanup activities following the storm
can minimize further damage and business disruption.
These actions are considered “property conservation”—
an important part of the emergency response plan.
Much of the following guidance is directed to building
owners and facility managers. However, tenants should also develop a plan in
coordination with building owners and managers as well as public authorities.

Preparing a Facility for a Forecast Event
Actions to prepare a facility for a forecast event depend upon the potential impacts
from the hazards associated with the event. Conduct a risk assessment to identify
severe weather hazards including winter storms, arctic freeze, tropical storm,
hurricane, flooding, storm surge, severe thunderstorm, tornado and high winds. Also
consider non-traditional hazards, such as a planned event involving a large crowd.
Property conservation actions should focus on
protection of the building and valuable
machinery, equipment and materials inside.
Potential damage may be prevented or mitigated
by inspecting the following building features,
systems and equipment:
• Windows and doors.
• Roof flashing, covering and drainage.
• Exterior signs.
• Mechanical equipment, antennas and
satellite dishes on rooftops.
• Outside storage, tanks and equipment.
• Air intakes.
• High value machinery.
• Sensitive electronic equipment including
information technology and process
controllers.
The review of building components may also identify opportunities for longer-
term mitigation strategies.
Property conservation activities for specific forecast events include the
following:
• Winter Storm – Keep building
entrances and emergency exits clear;
ensure there is adequate fuel for
heating and emergency power
supplies; monitor building heat, doors
and windows to prevent localized
freezing; monitor snow loading and
clear roof drains.
• Tropical Storms and Hurricanes – Stockpile and pre-cut plywood to board
up windows and doors (or install hurricane shutters); ensure there is sufficient
labor, tools and fasteners available; inspect roof coverings and flashing; clear
roof and storm drains; check sump and portable pumps; backup electronic
data and vital records off-site; relocate valuable inventory to a protected
location away from the path of the storm.
• Flooding – Identify the potential for flooding and plan to relocate goods,
materials and equipment to a higher floor or higher ground. Clear storm drains
and check sump and portable pumps. Raise stock and machinery off the floor.
Prepare a plan to use sandbags to prevent water entry from doors and secure
floor drains.

Salvage and Actions to Prevent Further Damage Following an Incident
Separating undamaged goods from
water-soaked goods is an example of
salvage. Covering holes in a roof or
cleaning up water and ventilating a
building are also part of property
conservation. The property conservation
plan should identify the resources
needed to salvage undamaged good and
materials; make temporary repairs to a
building; clean up water, smoke and
humidity; and prepare critical equipment
for restart.
Resources for property conservation include the following:
• Water vacuums and tools to remove water.
• Fans to remove smoke and humidity.
• Tarpaulins or plywood to cover damaged roofs or broken windows.
• Plastic sheeting to cover sensitive equipment.
Compile an inventory of available equipment,
tools and supplies and include it with the
emergency response plan. Identify
precautions for equipment exposed to water
or high humidity and procedures for
restarting machinery and equipment.
Identify contractors that may be called to assist with clean up and property
conservation efforts. Keep in mind that competition for contractors, labor, materials
and supplies prior to a forecast storm or following a regional disaster may be intense.
Plan ahead and secure contractors and other resources in advance.

HOUSEKEEPING NC III - CBLM

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