The fight against back injuries in Housekeeping – exercise and mechanical bed lifters

A recent industry focus group research project^[1] considered bed making as a high risk manual task along with others such as lifting soiled linen and pushing a trolley over a poor surface for long distances. One of the solutions proposed by the group was to install a mechanical handling aid, such as a bed lifting system to adjust bed heights to a workable level. In this same report the group mentioned that one of the barriers to installing such devices is a reluctance to make the investment.

The latest statistics are very clear. According to Konekt, an OHS specialist in Australia, 27.6% of total workplace injuries are to the back and shoulders.

Lycette & Associates has worked with many hotels on quality assurance and on the job training for Room Attendants where a proportion of time is spent on improving safe work practices. A great way to start is to encourage Executive Housekeepers to implement a 5 minute warm-up and stretching programme for Room Attendants before starting their physical work. Room Attendants enjoy this morning routine with lively music as an energizing way to start the day. The feedback is very positive and many hotels in Asia are now adopting this as part of the morning routine.

Additionally mechanical aids will make the job easier and therefore reduce the risk of injury.  The product we are familiar with is the Ezi-maid bed lifting system, an accidental invention by its owner, John Koorey.

While John was building his own hotel on the Mid North Coast of NSW he actively thought long and hard on coming up with a solution to save his Room Attendants from sore backs. From these humble beginnings of pleasing his own housekeepers, the Ezi-maid bed lifting system has grown into a success story.

Ezi-maid is now installed in many hotels and motels throughout Australia. Most of these hotels are managed by their owners, who can see the direct benefits this system brings. Internationally, Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados has just completed a full installation and the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai has just received their first order. The Ezi-maid bed lifting system has already been shipped to many countries all over the world including New Zealand, Germany, Norway, Japan and Taiwan. There is worldwide interest for the product, especially from India. And now the Ezi-maid system is also being installed in many non-surgical hospitals lessening the burden on nursing staff.

One of the most successful markets has been Singapore, which has now more than 19 hotels taking advantage of a grant from the Singaporean government to assist the employment of older workers in the hospitality industry, especially in housekeeping.

The older workforce phenomenon is apparent in many countries and in housekeeping with all its manual tasks, this can be challenging to say the least. To combat the risk of injury, while making the bed hotels can install bed lifting systems to make life a lot easier. The bed raises off the floor and away from the wall for easy access and bed making, it also allows for vacuuming under the bed without having to bend down.

Ezi-maid has been recognised by Work Cover (Australia). In fact, John Koorey’s hotel the Dorsal won a Work Cover award in 2008 for the best solution to an identified Health and Safety issue. But pressure needs to come from industry bodies, like Hotel and Housekeeper Associations, to get governments and hotel owners and management companies on board to support these mechanical aids as a standard feature in hotel rooms.

The challenge for John is to get through to the hotel owners, or those making investment decisions. John mentioned he finds that often they are not even aware that a product like Ezi-maid can assist in reducing injury and increasing productivity.

For more information on Quality Assurance or Safe Work Practices for Room Attendants contact Liz Lycette on liz@lycetteandassociates.com or visit www.lycetteandassociates.com

 

About Ezi-Maid Bed Frame & Lifting System

 

The Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting System is a robust steel frame that is situated under each bed. Its compact height, 85 millimeter (3 inches) and powerful motor activates to lift the bed to waist height allowing the bed to be made in the standing position. The bed raises 570mm (almost 2 feet) off the floor and also the same distance out from the bed head allowing total access around and underneath the bed. For more information contact John Koorey on john.koorey@ezimaid.com.au or visit www.ezimaid.com.au

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^[1] Workplace Health Safety Queensland