The relationship between ergonomics and health problems : a study on hotel room attendants in three-star hotels

Abstract EN

Room attendant considers one of the most physically demanding hotel jobs that include many repetitive and tiring tasks such as mopping, dusting, buffing, vacuuming, making beds, emptying garbage, tidying, and sweeping floors.

This work profile leads not only to exhaustion but also a high incidence of occupational hazards, pain and injuries.

Effective ergonomic practices provide workstations, tools and equipment, which are comfortable and efficient for the staff to use.

Ergonomics also creates work environment that is healthy and suits the capability of the staff to control or eliminate hazards.

The major objective of this study was to assess the awareness of room attendants about ergonomics practices in the investigated hotels and its relationship with health problems among the room attendants.

Interviewer-administered surveys were used to collect data from 30 room attendants working at 3 stars hotels in Greater Cairo.

The results supported the first research hypothesis and found a significant relationship between physical ergonomics and health problems among room attendants as workload & work conditions (1.652*) and equipment & supplies (0.478*).

The results also showed a significant relationship between cognitive ergonomics and the health problems (0.893*).

The third hypothesis was rejected which is related to the relationship between organizational ergonomics and health problems of the room attendants.

The study recommends that the hotels should consider ergonomics practices in their work environment and provide their room attendants with on the job training that incorporate the job safety program with the ergonomic risk factors analysis.