Keeping Hospitality Workers Safe on the Job
Businesses in every industry have a duty of care to protect their employees at work, but that responsibility can look different depending on the size and type of corporation. Restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in the hospitality industry face unique challenges when it comes to employee safety and operational continuity.
Communication tools are critical for hotels, restaurants and similar businesses. Many hospitality employees work alone for long periods of time and don’t have a reliable way to reach 9-1-1 or management in a crisis. Additionally, they may not have access to a safe, reliable means to report an attack or safety concern.
Rave Mobile Safety offers a range of critical communication tools that help hospitality employers keep their people safe during crises and daily operations. From reliable mass notification systems to mobile panic button apps, our solutions help hospitality workers feel connected and secure no matter where they are.
Safety solutions for hotel hospitality workers
Many hospitality employees spend hours working on their own, which can be dangerous in an emergency and during normal operations. Cleaning staff, maintenance workers, security personnel and customer service professionals face a high threat of verbal and even physical attacks from guests.
Hotel housekeepers (most of whom are female) face such a significant threat of sexual harassment and violence that many hotel chains and cities have created new enforcement policies to protect them. Some hotel corporations have also chosen to provide their staff members with panic buttons, giving them a faster and more reliable way to report an attack or emergency situation.
Rave Mobile Safety offers several communication solutions for hospitality workers. Our panic button app allows users to instantly connect with 9-1-1 and report their situation to internal authorities with a simple tap on the screen. Prebuilt emergency buttons (e.g., active assailant, fire and medical) ensure that responders immediately know what type of emergency the user is reporting.
Our custom-branded safety app incorporates additional features along with panic button functionality. This tool includes virtual escort technology designed to keep lone workers and traveling employees safe. Integrated two-way communication allows users to report concerns (via text and/or images), and messages are automatically routed to the correct department.
Crisis situations in soft target locations
Hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations are often highly populated with guests and visitors as well as hospitality workers. Many of these locations are soft targets that face a significant risk of violent attacks, such as active shooter events. While some hospitality corporations may choose to invest in more security personnel or infrastructure, no safety measures can completely harden a soft target or eliminate the threat of attack.
It’s crucial for corporations in the hospitality industry to have a way to quickly notify employees and visitors of an emergency or security threat. Rave Mobile Safety’s mass notification system simplifies this task, allowing administrators to send multichannel alerts in just three clicks.
These alerts can reach targeted recipients (including visitors in the local area) via SMS text, email, voice, and desktop notifications. Seamless integration with digital signage ensures that critical messages reach as many individuals as possible.
Encouraging “see something, say something” behavior
Hospitality corporations may also consider providing their workers with a two-way communication system that allows anonymous tips. This type of communication tool encourages employees in all positions to maintain situational awareness and report suspicious behavior to appropriate internal authorities. Additionally, workers may use text-to-tip features to identify safety concerns and compliance violations without worrying about retaliation.
Returning to normal operations following a crisis
While it’s vital for hospitality businesses to create emergency plans to respond quickly in a crisis, they must also find ways to speed up the post-crisis recovery process. Prolonged shut-downs can significantly impact profits and reduce public trust, threatening a business’s chances of attracting patrons in the future.
Communication is a vital part of recovery as well as emergency response. Employers must be able to coordinate recovery efforts with local governments, law enforcement and first responders. Additionally, managers must maintain constant communication with their employers to verify their safety and provide critical resources, such as mental health information.
Protect hospitality workers with help from Rave Mobile Safety
Hospitality workers face significant threats on the job, especially when they work alone or outside of daytime business hours. Rave Mobile Safety offers many solutions to help protect hospitality employees at work. Our critical communication solutions give employers the ability to send mass notifications to workers in all locations. These emergency alerts can notify employees of a crisis and provide crucial information, such as shelter-in-place orders.
Managers can use our two-way communication tools to request status updates from their employees. This can encourage employees to stay home when they are ill and make it easier for managers to change shift schedules when necessary.
Ongoing communication helps ensure housekeepers, customer services professionals and lone workers feel secure and connected on the job. We also offer a mobile-based panic button that instantly connects the user with 9-1-1 dispatch and first responders, eliminating the need for users to locate and use a fire alarm, landline phone or physical panic button.
Rave Mobile Safety is committed to helping employers in all industries protect their people. Our communication and incident management solutions are easy to use and integrate seamlessly with existing alarm infrastructure. For more details on our prebuilt solutions or customizable communication tools, contact our team.
