Hotels brace for H1N1 outbreak

A new manual released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association outlines how properties can best handle and prepare for H1N1 flu risks this coming season.

The 26-page manual, “H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels,” by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), is an essential guide for lodging businesses to use in managing H1N1 influenza virus situations at their properties; supplying hoteliers with the right guidance for employees and guests who are afflicted with the H1N1 flu and other influenza strains. It also covers basic sanitation practices to use when cleaning guestrooms and public areas.

“Being informed and knowledgeable about today’s flu is one of the best vaccines hoteliers can use to protect their guests and staff,” said AH&LA president and CEO Joseph A. McInerney. “This guide will help our industry develop plans to handle staff absenteeism, sick guests, room sanitation, and a number of other important areas they might encounter every day throughout this pandemic. Leadership in a crisis depends on information, and this guide will help fill in the blanks about what to do.”

The manual is divided into 10 areas: a basic introduction to H1N1 flu and its treatment, the need for a hotel response plan and its basic components, employee safety, what to do if a guest is ill, guestroom decontamination, food services, guest and employee communications, severe pandemic flu planning, and a comprehensive list of Internet H1N1 flu resources.

Sample letters informing guests about H1N1 outbreaks, press releases, employee communication about H1N1 risks, and reporting possible illness are included. There is also a list of common hotel areas that should receive frequent decontamination, as well as a question-and-answer guide on H1N1 flu for employees.

The guide complements the work by public health authorities to inform Americans about H1N1 flu and what can be done by people to minimize the risks to themselves and others from this illness. The basic recommendations to stay home from work if ill, frequent and thorough hand washing, cough etiquette, and area cleanliness are emphasized throughout the guide.

AH&LA’s resources on this year’s flu situation also includes a webinar on H1N1 flu and industry practices. The September 29 webinar will provide the latest H1N1 news to hoteliers, as well as answer many of the questions emerging from this public health situation.

The “H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels” manual can be downloaded as an Adobe PDF document from www.ahla.com/flu.