Loss Prevention
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Introduction
Ever thought of being on a top floor of a hotel when the fire alarm goes off. What are you going to do? Are there evacuation policies? Where do I go? What do I do? Is there viable fire prevention in place? These are all questions people would ask themselves when in a life threatening situation. The following critique one will help find the dangerous and challenging characteristics of running a hotel during a fire. The hotels staff must take ownership for the safety of their guests, in case of fire detection, prevention and following proper procedures. All these precautions need to be put in place in the case of an unfortunate fire or life-threatening situations e.g. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and bomb threats, etc. All the guests residing in the hotel need to be aware of the evacuation process as well as outside contractors (i.e. Builders, painters, plumbers etc.). The responsibility of the company is to ensure that the staff of the hotel has the knowledge and know how to ensure all guests are made aware of proper procedures in the event of a fire.
Facts
The past has shown that fire safety has been an issue within hotels, because some have little to no fire precautions in place. In Saffron Walden on Boxing Day in 1969 there was a fire that resulted in eleven people dying, which in turn executed the passing of the Fire Precautions Act in 1971. Following this instance, in 1972 all hotels required a fire certificate under the Act Lowe, G. (2009).
A fire can happen anywhere and at anytime for a number of different reasons. Silly kids could set a garbage bin on fire, which in turn can catch the property on fire. Some other reasons are:
Fire doors left open
Lack of portable fire extinguishers
Unmaintained fire prevention equipment
Broken sprinkler system
Inaccessible fire routes
Disasters that can be prevented by providing up to date technology, fire detection techniques and familiarizing guests with evacuation methods
Main Idea
Hotels generate their revenue from numerous guests who use the establishment as a home away from home when on vacation or a business trip. To ensure the safety of guests and the staff there must be fire detection elements implemented throughout the hotel. During a hotel fire staff need to be aware that guests are unfamiliar with fire routes, certain languages, disability routes and the hotels fire procedures. Associated with these troubles a guest can become so overwhelmed with what has occurred, that their first thought is to figure out why the alarm has gone off.
Opinion
The main idea in this article is critical and very much a part of many peoples lives. Hotels need to ensure safety for their guests, staff, and their establishment. In the event of a fire, hotels need to make sure that they are prepared for the worst. It is with great feeling that hotels need to make sure that fire prevention equipment is maintained and serviced on a regular basis (ex. Smoke detectors, fire alarms, portable fire extinguishers) and if they fail to do this there will be severe consequences.
A Hotels number one mission statement should be ensuring the safety of staff and guests and in doing so creates a safe environment. Language barriers need to be are indeed a problem, which a hotel can rectify by hiring staff that are bilingual and write directional signs, policies and procedure in the event of an emergency are written in multiple languages. If there is a PA system within the property in the event of a fire or emergency, English should not be the only language spoken but multiple languages. Handicapped guests or guests with a disability need to be assured that there is a precautionary plan