In Focus

Reining adversity

Hotel staff plays a vital role in any unforeseen circumstances because their preparedness to tackle such emergencies can save many lives. By Sanjeev Bhar

Not so long ago, a normal busy weekend turned out to be an unfortunate one for The Grand New Delhi. Panic broke out after a fire broke out in the hotel in one of the kitchens. It was known only later that the hotel's GM, Ray McShane, had himself called the fire department immediately and the situation brought under control.

This incident raises a concern about how prepared the hotels are to fight emergency situations and how well their staff is equipped to take action to safeguard their guests' interests. Luckily, in case of The Grand, all its 350 guests were successfully evacuated. This was possible only because of prior staff training for emergency situations. In some cases, even the guests are taken through the routine of safety precautions, much like what happens on cruise liners.

Also, it could be anything from a fire to personal injury, which could create a situation. Therefore, emergencies need not only be identified but also addressed through dissemination of correct information and training, either by the housekeeping staff or an emergency team specially trained to handle difficult circumstances.

Assessing emergencies

It is almost impossible to prevent any sort of emergency, but it is undoubtedly possible to be prepared. Balwinder Bhardwaj, chief of security at Shangri-La Hotel, New Delhi says, "The hotel staff plays a very vital role; their awareness is most important towards immediate response to situations." According to him, if the employees are trained to tackle emergencies, all situations can be tackled at the initial stage itself before it can become a disaster. Appropriately trained staff can minimise the damage to life and property in such situations. Therefore, the role of other departments, along with housekeeping, becomes crucial. Lemuel Herbert, associate VP & GM at The Park Bangalore, is of the opinion that understanding of an emergency is key. "If staff is aware of the possible emergencies that may arise, it becomes easy for them to react to it and take punitive actions."

A guest's health and safety is also counted under an emergency, especially in cases like heart attack and unconsciousness. Says Bhardwaj, "We have a Response Team which consists of 359 members divided into five teams to tackle emergency situations. This team is assigned with specific jobs like fire fighting, rescue operations, engineering support, first aid and evacuation."

Once unwarranted situations are identified, the next step is taken towards making staff identify the control action they should adhere to. In cases of emergency, the margin for error is negligible. Hence, from the security point of view, staff is trained on the evacuation procedures and how they can help the guest in reaching the safe areas, explains Bhardwaj. "We train them to assist guests by providing them smoke masks, torches and floor plans to reach assembly areas. Staff is also trained on rescue procedures in smoke engulfed areas," he adds.

Since the margin of error is taken at zero in such situations by most hotels, it is vital that training on immediate procedures to be carried out at that time is given on a regular basis and also do the drills to see the staff response in such situations. Regular training is key to handling such situations.

However, Herbert says, high attrition rates among the lower level of the organisation gets in the way of having a secured staffing. "The knowledge imparted through periodical sessions on first aid training, operation drills like evacuation and fire fighting thus, at any given point of time, is known to 60 per cent of staff. It is impossible for any hotel to maintain 100 per cent efficiency," he points out.

Countering that scenario, special teams are being built by hotels to address emergency issues. Bhardwaj elaborates, "We have a Green Team in our ERT, which is a First Aid team consisting of 68 members. They have been taken from different departments and are trained and certified by Safety Circle and St John's Ambulance for all emergencies like CPR, injury, bleeding, spine injury, fracture, choking, burn injuries, etc." The hotel also has first aid trained staff and a doctor on duty round the clock.

Manpower training

The entire issue of safety and precautionary measure thus revolves primarily around staff training and how adverse situations could be managed. Management of hotel take stance on HR issues that paves the way for security and housekeeping department in tackling the security concerns of guests.

Shangri La Hotel takes help from Delhi Fire Service to train its Fire Fighting & Rescue Team at their training college. "Engineering Support & Evacuation team is trained locally using all international SLIM standards," informs Bhardwaj. On the other hand, Herbert says, "We make sure that various drills that are carried out are attended by all senior management as well as lower management cadres. A batch of 40 people is formed for mock drills where training manager trains them on various critical issues."

Thus it could be ascertained that hotels are proactive in raising the level of consciousness among its staff to avert any mishaps. Staff is prepared to be up on their toes to counter emergency by undergoing regular mock drills on various activities for hotels and be truly hospitable in every possible way.