State regulators respond to Hyatt on repetitive motion injuries

01.17.13 - 3:43 pm | Rebecca Bowe |

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PHOTO BY FABIO VENNI VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

The Guardian received a phone call from Amy Martin, chief counsel of the California Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) this morning in response to our article spotlighting Cal/OSHA's recent settlement with Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf. The settlement marked the final resolution of a set of housekeeper complaints filed in 2010 regarding repetitive motion injuries.

Martin commented in response to statements made on behalf of Hyatt by spokesperson Pete Hillan, who told the Guardian that "what was found at Fisherman's Wharf was the equivalent of lagging paperwork," and stressed that the charges filed against Hyatt were found to be without merit.

"Cal/OSHA believes it found plenty of evidence both of injuries sustained by housekeepers, as well as violations of Cal/OSHA regulations," Martin said. "It is technically true that [citations] were withdrawn," she added, but that was the outcome of an in-depth settlement negotiation in which Hyatt agreed that the findings would be construed as a violation under the Injury Illness and Prevention Standard, a separate area of workplace safety regulations.

"To say that it's lagging paperwork is simplifying it," added Erika Monterroza, a Cal/OSHA spokesperson who joined the call.

In other Hyatt-related news, don't miss Caitlin Donohue's post about why some members of the yoga community are calling on attendees of the Yoga Journal conference to decide which side of the picket line they're on. (All of which seems strangely ironic when you consider how yoga is often viewed as a remedy for repetitive motion injuries.)

Comments

Imagine - a maid upset she has to do the same thing over

and over - every day. I hope she complained she's not journeying to exciting and glamorous places or has an expense account like she expected either.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 17, 2013 @ 6:32 pm

Exactly, it is just women's

Exactly, it is just women's work so why should we care, right?

Posted by marcos on Jan. 17, 2013 @ 7:02 pm

No - not women's work

But it is highly repetitive and difficult work. Someone's gotta do it. Hotel guests aren't expected to clean up after themselves.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 17, 2013 @ 8:09 pm

There are all sorts of

There are all sorts of repetitive work that has been made less unhealthy as the workplace has become regulated over the past century. It is up to Hyatt to organize their workplace in a manner such that it is not unhealthy to do the job even if the efficiencies of division of labor are not fully realized.

Posted by marcos on Jan. 17, 2013 @ 9:07 pm

Maybe

Hard to see how housework, which involves things like scrubbing floors and changing bedding, repetitively, can be made less so. Beds have to be changed, floors have to be scrubbed - that's never going to change.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 17, 2013 @ 9:16 pm

Agreed, Lucretia, this is a storm in a teacup.

And I've seen male chambermaids too. But I guess that doesn't fit the victim stereotypical gender-card being played here.

Posted by anon on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 7:50 am

The article is gender neutral in its reference

to hotel housekeepers. Every worker deserves safe working conditions.

Posted by Eddie on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 9:38 am

But every worker is not entitled to do non-repetitive work

That's the point.

did every workers doing the same job suffer? No, not even close. So obviously the criticial determinant is something else other than the nature of the work.

Posted by Guest on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 9:59 am

There are also laws and

There are also laws and regulations on the books that don't allow employers arrange the work day such that the employees are likely to be injured on the job.

Posted by marcos on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 10:12 am

It's not "likely" that you'll get injured as a maid

It is possible, obviously, just as it's possible in any job, repetitive or otherwise. It's not like they are forced to work in smoke-filled rooms, or with bare electric cables, or in fire hazards etc.

In fact, they're not forced to work there at all unless they are happy.

Posted by Guest on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 11:17 am

One of the downsides of

One of the downsides of Taylorism is that specialization leads to repetition and injury. Instead of a maid just making beds all day and another just cleaning the bathroom, perhaps they might mix it up so that the workers have a varied physical routine instead of a repetitive one.

That might crimp efficiency but it might also prevent injury.

Posted by marcos on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 9:23 am

Maids typically work room by room

It's more efficient because each room is signed off by only one worker, so if there is a mess, or worse a theft, just one maid is accountable.

Within that room there is variety ie making the ebd, vacuuming, cleaning and restocking the bathroom etc.

Posted by Guest on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 10:01 am

The SFPD is allowed to craft

The SFPD is allowed to craft its work plan such that injuries to officers are minimized and the cost of that avoidance of work is shifted onto the taxpayers who are not kept safe by lazy and self interested cops. Maids deserve no less.

Posted by marcos on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 10:13 am

No, maid's work by it's nature is repetitive but

with cops it's unpredictable and so far more leeway needs to be given.

Posted by Guest on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 11:18 am

When words are MEANINGLESS ... DOES ANYONE CHECK ???

Jason Grant Garza here ... when words are MEANINGLESS ...

What is the CONTEXT, the FULL PICTURE, the COMPLETE TRUTH ????

Hillan, who told the Guardian that "what was found at Fisherman's Wharf was the equivalent of lagging paperwork," and stressed that the charges filed against Hyatt were found to be without merit.

"To say that it's lagging paperwork is simplifying it," added Erika Monterroza, a Cal/OSHA spokesperson who joined the call.

So where is the TRUTH ... negotiated settlement in which Hyatt agrees that the findings would be construed as a VIOLATION under the injury illness and Prevention Standard

or what was found at Fisherman's Wharf was the equivalent of lagging paperwork," and stressed that the charges filed against Hyatt were found to be without merit.

Yes, again watch the SPIN, the DEVIL in the DETAILS and QUESTION what you hear.

It reminds me of the signed confession/settlement agreement for BREAKING FEDERAL MEDICAL LAW http://www.myownprivateguantanamo.com/settle1.html in which I was the INNOCENT VINDICATED VICTIM

Remember this was NOT because the city or CITY ATTORNEY decided to do the RIGHT CORRECT THING after having my FEDERAL LAWSUIT thrown out of FEDERAL COURT C02-3485 PJH with FRAUD and TESTILYING years earlier ...

So now when the city attorney tells me that DPH'S LAWBREAKING activity is CIVIL and not criminal as I have been told by the DA and ROSS (see youtube videos)

It will leave me as I was left when I took them to FEDERAL COURT in case C02-3485PJH where the above settlement Admitting FAULT and GUILT years later ... shall I show you what I got going back to FEDERAL COURT to hold them accountable after the signed confession YEARS later ... I mean the COURT, JUDGE, CITY ATTORNEY ...
Rigged is as RIGGED does ... what was the CONSEQUENCE or PENALTY ... oh, that is RIGHT only TO me is the CONSEQUENCE and PENALTY ...

See how the GAME is RIGGED when they like the recent BOY SCOUT scandal are complicit in PROTECTING their own ...

Look at 8/15 DPH BREAKING the LAW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cP3jCmJFRo

Look at the 11/27 ROSS videos where I forewarn ROSS of DPH repeating the LAWBREAKING activity if the DA and city attorney DO NOT PERFORM as I want to file charges (Criminal Fraud, Denial of Access and Accommodation, Denial of Medical Care and Rights, etc )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYC-syG0D7Y

Now look at DPH does on 12/19 after DRINKING ROSS" cup of POISON ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYC-syG0D7Y

And NOW I can not get another meeting to followup, nor a meeting with the CHIEF of Police (Suhr), nor a meeting with DA, nor a meeting with OCC to file, list, describe the lawbreaking activity, nor the HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION to file an ACCESS and ACCOMMODATION complaints, nor with the MAYOR'S OFFICE on DISABILITY ... watch the youtube videos ...

So keep DRINKING the KOOL-AID and believing what you want to believe HOWEVER it does not change the TRUTH and when it happens to you and yours ... don't expect much since you will get what I have ... NOTHING in ABUNDANCE.

Humanity. Compassion, Truth, and Honor DO NOT exist here ... ENJOY.

Posted by Jason Grant Garza on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 6:49 am

The CORRECT LINK to DPH'S 12/19 LAWBREAKING ACTIVITY

Jason Grant Garza here ... to the above incorrect link for Dph's 12/19 LAWBREAKING ACTIVITY ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFd-KtS8Zss

the Sheriff's 11/27 videos (6 in total) where he OFFERS the "CUP of POISON" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYC-syG0D7Y note who this there ... MOD, DPH's ADA, Sheriff, Asst Sheriff, Captain ... reminds me of the JOKE regarding the person who gets into a poker game with SHARKS and looks for the MARK and can not see one ... then HE IS THE MARK !!!

Shall we again see DPH'S 8/15 LAWBREAKING ACTIVITY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cP3jCmJFRo

Remember today is 1/18/2013 ... look at the videos and where I have been to hold them accountable ... KEEP DRINKING the KOOL AID and realize THEY will retire to live the GOOD LIFE and BENEFITS and in the MEANTIME ... now serving VICTIM number 21 ... Rigged is as RIGGED DOES .... what is the CONSEQUENCE ???

ENJOY ...

Posted by Jason Grant Garza on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 7:16 am

Hot cup of poison

I like it.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 8:19 am

Repetative motion

This is in reply to Lucretia Snapples:

In all workplaces it is in the best interests of both managment and labor to be able to peform the work they need to do without incurring injuries. Safety and health is a win- win proposition. There may be machines or tools that can prevent injury. In the nursing industry moving obese patients used to mean the nursing staff would incurr many back injuries. Now most hopitals use hoyer lift assists that work like a portable sling and crane system. Identifying that a problem exists is the first step in getting to the root cause and fixing it. One of the things that make America great is that we are creative and good at solving problems.

Flipping mattresses, lift mattress to tuck in sheets and moving King sized mattress that weigh 200 pounds can be done with lifting slings and with leverage aiding tools. Remember if a person ends up permanently diabled that would be coming out of your tax dollars.

Posted by Guest Mike Hunt on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 8:18 am

Well that's fine then

If it's not an unreasonable accommodation then it's fine. Although I don't see why a lever is needed to life the corner of a mattress.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 18, 2013 @ 10:38 am

Repetitive motions...

Clearly Ms. Snapples, who performs endless repetitive motions (both physical and mental) while trolling the internet, must be the final authority in this regard.

Posted by Marc Norton on Jan. 19, 2013 @ 9:44 am

Union troll

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jan. 19, 2013 @ 4:36 pm

New Rules...

There are many issues regarding the health department of a country. Each and every people of a country are more cautious about different types of heath related matters are more for injuries. Recently many complaints are lodged regarding different types of injuries which occur by violating laws. So a new law has been formed by the officials to sustain this of complaints and restrain injuries.
http://www.virginiasinjurylawyers.com/

Posted by Ken on May. 05, 2013 @ 9:30 pm