Workers in almost all Minnesota industries face some sort of injury risk, but research shows that hotel housekeepers are among those facing the biggest on-the-job dangers. While hotel workers across the board face higher injury risks than others in the service sector, hotel housekeepers are more prone to injuries than all other hotel employees.
According to UNITE HERE, the injury rate among America’s hotel workers, regardless of position, is 40% higher than that of all other hotel employees. Hotel housekeepers are especially at risk, with more than 90% of them saying they have experienced pain directly related to their work.
Why cleaning hotel rooms creates injury risks
The demands placed upon hotel housekeepers are considerable, with the average hotel housekeeper cleaning 14 rooms a day or even more. Cleaning hotel rooms is tough on the body and often requires lifting heavy items, cleaning on one’s hands and knees, and performing the same tasks again and again. All these actions raise the potential for injuries, and studies show that some hotel housekeepers face higher injury risks than others.
What hotel housekeepers face the biggest injury risks
Data shows that female and Hispanic hotel housekeepers are especially in danger of hurting themselves on the job. Female workers who clean hotel rooms are 50% more likely than their male colleagues to hurt themselves at work. Also, while all hotel housekeepers face an injury rate of 7.9 per 100,000 workers employed full-time, the injury rate among Hispanic housekeepers is 10.6 per 100,000 full-time workers, which is the highest injury rate seen among any race or ethnicity group.
Hotel employees who suffer serious work-related injuries may be able to secure workers’ compensation insurance to help offset the expenses stemming from their injuries.