Hotel Management — March 2012
Change Language:
Hotel Operations
Compliance
How to avoid the wrong products
As hoteliers face compliance deadlines for federal laws regulating Americans with Disabilities Act standards and crib-safety standards, they must make sure they’re investing in the right new products.
One particularly costly ADA-compliance regulation mandates that swimming pools with less than 300 feet of wall space need a sloped entrance or a pool lift, and pools with more than 300 feet of wall space must have at least two means of entry, one of which must be a lift or sloped entry.
That translates into high expenses, especially for smaller properties.
“If I’m a small hotel that is making plans to install a pool or hot tub, or I have one that needs repairs, the new regulations may be the deciding factor that puts a stop to my efforts,” said Dale Papke, president of HydroTher Spa. Papke sees the regulations going into effect in March as bad timing during a recovering business economy, but also understands their necessity.
“It’s wonderful news for people with disabilities,” he said.
Despite the necessity, hoteliers and manufacturers are concerned that misinformation is spreading about products that do and do not meet compliance guidelines.
“Not all fixed-side baby cribs on the market are compliant with the recognized standards,” said Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Medina, Ohio-based Foundations, a baby product manufacturer. “If a property waits too long to find the correct models of cribs to purchase, they run the risk of not being fully informed or not being fully compliant. Also, if they wait too long the demand could easily outstrip the supply.”
“You have to buy from a specialist in order to be sure of your compliance,” Papke said. “Purchasing a pool lift requires a detail-oriented knowledge of state and country codes, and we want to see your blueprints, too. It isn’t something that you want to buy off of eBay.”
Suvak recommends obtaining a certificate of compliance for anything that is affected by a change in regulations, and states that these certificates are necessary in the purchase of cribs. “Short of having that certificate, a crib has absolutely no basis in compliance, and there is no way of telling if a crib is compliant simply by looing at it,” he said.
■➔ 300 feet
Pools with less than 300 feet of wall space will need a sloped entrance or a pool lift according to new ADA regulations.
HydroTher
Drop-side cribs banned, more regulations added
By December 28, 2012, all baby cribs in hotels must be registered as compliant with the standards set by the Customer Product Safety Commission, with the most glaring change being the ban of all drop-side cribs. However, simply having a fixed-side crib is not good enough to fully meet the new regulations.
“There are new hardware requirements for present-day cribs,” said Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Foundations. “The slats or spindles have a new standard for strength as well.”
According to the CPSC, all cribs sold after June 28, 2011, must be compliant with the new regulations, but there is still the possibility that cribs made before that date are on the market. Because of this, hoteliers should consult certificates of authenticity before purchasing any cribs.
“The media has done a great job of making parents aware of the new crib standards, so guests with children already know about the new law,” Suvak said. “If I was a hotelier, I would want a binder full of certificates authorizing the cribs I have.”
Additionally, certificates only protect hotels from cribs that are in perfect condition. “The full liability for a child’s exposure to a damaged crib falls on a hotel,” Suvak said.
Suvak also noted that hotel owners should be purchasing cribs made especially for hotels as opposed to purchasing them from a commercial retail outlet.
Are hoteliers ready?
On March 15, government-mandated regulations regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act will go into effect, and all hoteliers in the United States are expected to be compliant with them. However, the regulations cover everything from highly visible changes in spas, to changes in the inner workings of a hotel’s check-in service. With so many bases to cover, is it possible hoteliers are missing some things?
“I would say that the hotel industry is one that would be quick to comply and be prepared for the ADA regulations, compared to something like the spa industry,” said Dale Papke, president of HydroTher Spa. “The hotel industry has a variety of magazines keeping [hotels] informed of issues like this, and they might have a better handle on big changes, whereas with spas and health clubs, I don’t see it being addressed as much.”
“Hotels have been ahead of the curve when it comes to looking at risk management,” said Abbie Sladick, president of Great Grabz. “When it comes to hotels with recently remodeled rooms, they don’t always just want the standard, I see them taking their time to remodel well.”
Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Foundations, noted that hotel brands that specify a standard for their products across the board appear to be more prepared for the changing regulations in baby cribs, which go into effect in December. “We see many chains using this as an opportunity to re-specify the products they are looking to use, with a lot of them re-evaluating their needs and being proactive while doing it,” Suvak said.
How to avoid the wrong products
As hoteliers face compliance deadlines for federal laws regulating Americans with Disabilities Act standards and crib-safety standards, they must make sure they’re investing in the right new products.
One particularly costly ADA-compliance regulation mandates that swimming pools with less than 300 feet of wall space need a sloped entrance or a pool lift, and pools with more than 300 feet of wall space must have at least two means of entry, one of which must be a lift or sloped entry.
That translates into high expenses, especially for smaller properties.
“If I’m a small hotel that is making plans to install a pool or hot tub, or I have one that needs repairs, the new regulations may be the deciding factor that puts a stop to my efforts,” said Dale Papke, president of HydroTher Spa. Papke sees the regulations going into effect in March as bad timing during a recovering business economy, but also understands their necessity.
“It’s wonderful news for people with disabilities,” he said.
Despite the necessity, hoteliers and manufacturers are concerned that misinformation is spreading about products that do and do not meet compliance guidelines.
“Not all fixed-side baby cribs on the market are compliant with the recognized standards,” said Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Medina, Ohio-based Foundations, a baby product manufacturer. “If a property waits too long to find the correct models of cribs to purchase, they run the risk of not being fully informed or not being fully compliant. Also, if they wait too long the demand could easily outstrip the supply.”
“You have to buy from a specialist in order to be sure of your compliance,” Papke said. “Purchasing a pool lift requires a detail-oriented knowledge of state and country codes, and we want to see your blueprints, too. It isn’t something that you want to buy off of eBay.”
Suvak recommends obtaining a certificate of compliance for anything that is affected by a change in regulations, and states that these certificates are necessary in the purchase of cribs. “Short of having that certificate, a crib has absolutely no basis in compliance, and there is no way of telling if a crib is compliant simply by looing at it,” he said.
■➔ 300 feet
Pools with less than 300 feet of wall space will need a sloped entrance or a pool lift according to new ADA regulations.
HydroTher
Drop-side cribs banned, more regulations added
By December 28, 2012, all baby cribs in hotels must be registered as compliant with the standards set by the Customer Product Safety Commission, with the most glaring change being the ban of all drop-side cribs. However, simply having a fixed-side crib is not good enough to fully meet the new regulations.
“There are new hardware requirements for present-day cribs,” said Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Foundations. “The slats or spindles have a new standard for strength as well.”
According to the CPSC, all cribs sold after June 28, 2011, must be compliant with the new regulations, but there is still the possibility that cribs made before that date are on the market. Because of this, hoteliers should consult certificates of authenticity before purchasing any cribs.
“The media has done a great job of making parents aware of the new crib standards, so guests with children already know about the new law,” Suvak said. “If I was a hotelier, I would want a binder full of certificates authorizing the cribs I have.”
Additionally, certificates only protect hotels from cribs that are in perfect condition. “The full liability for a child’s exposure to a damaged crib falls on a hotel,” Suvak said.
Suvak also noted that hotel owners should be purchasing cribs made especially for hotels as opposed to purchasing them from a commercial retail outlet.
Are hoteliers ready?
On March 15, government-mandated regulations regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act will go into effect, and all hoteliers in the United States are expected to be compliant with them. However, the regulations cover everything from highly visible changes in spas, to changes in the inner workings of a hotel’s check-in service. With so many bases to cover, is it possible hoteliers are missing some things?
“I would say that the hotel industry is one that would be quick to comply and be prepared for the ADA regulations, compared to something like the spa industry,” said Dale Papke, president of HydroTher Spa. “The hotel industry has a variety of magazines keeping [hotels] informed of issues like this, and they might have a better handle on big changes, whereas with spas and health clubs, I don’t see it being addressed as much.”
“Hotels have been ahead of the curve when it comes to looking at risk management,” said Abbie Sladick, president of Great Grabz. “When it comes to hotels with recently remodeled rooms, they don’t always just want the standard, I see them taking their time to remodel well.”
Mark Suvak, VP of safety and compliance at Foundations, noted that hotel brands that specify a standard for their products across the board appear to be more prepared for the changing regulations in baby cribs, which go into effect in December. “We see many chains using this as an opportunity to re-specify the products they are looking to use, with a lot of them re-evaluating their needs and being proactive while doing it,” Suvak said.
Message