As we see hotel bookings, restaurant reservations, and travel slowly come back, many hospitality workers are going to work day to day, interacting with people and increasing their chance of exposure. Housekeepers, guest services staff, food and beverage staff, transportation staff, groundskeepers, or on-site managers all deal with the public up close throughout their day, and these employees should take all of the necessary precautions to ensure their health and safety while at work. 

Hcareers spoke with Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies specifically for the hospitality industry, and they recommended several practical ways that hotel employees can reduce their personal risk of infection on the job: 

• Wear facial coverings such as a mask, at all times 
• Wash your hands often and correctly​. The World Health Organization recommends performing hand hygiene with soap & water or an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available
•  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands​
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick​
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces​
• Stay home while you are sick​ and if you have a fever or other symptoms after traveling home, you should wear a mask and seek medical advice immediately and tell the doctor where you have visited recently.

They also provide infection prevention guidance at the property level, which includes cleaning guidelines for public areas, guest rooms, and back-of-house areas:

Ruth Petran, Ph.D., CFS Senior Corporate Scientist, Food Safety and Public Health, at Ecolab reminds hotel workers, 

“Coronavirus spreads the same way most cold and flu viruses spread when a person comes into contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets. These may spread from an infected person to others through the air from coughs and sneezes; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;​ or touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands.”

In fact, aside from avoiding contact with infected people altogether, frequent hand-washing is recommended as one of the most effective ways to reduce the chances you’ll contract the virus. According to the CDC, 80% of all infections are transmitted by hand, yet 97% of people do not wash their hands effectively. 

For more information from Ecolab on how to protect yourself or your hotel staff from coronavirus, watch their recent webinar featuring Ecolab experts discussing COVID-19 and how healthcare, long-term care, hospitality, restaurants, and food and beverage processing businesses can take action to help protect employees and customers. Or, you can also visit their resource page for a collection of expertise and guidance on how to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and keep employees and customers safe.