Workplace safety for a hotel and guest house

A hotel or guest house combines a kitchen, accommodation, housekeeping, a laundry, a wellness area and often a boiler room under one roof. In regulatory terms it is several different operations at once, and people who do not know the building are sleeping in it. That is why inspections focus most on evacuation.

What you need from your first employee

• initial OSH training and refresher training at least every two years (Section 7(1) and (5) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• a written risk assessment document and a list of PPE provided (Section 6(1)(c) and (d) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• occupational health service and work categorisation (Section 21(3) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• fire protection training and fire protection documentation (Section 22 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll., Section 9(2) of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.),
• records of occupational accidents under Section 17 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.

Guest evacuation is the core of it

In accommodation premises it is not enough to have an extinguisher in the corridor. You need fire alarm instructions, a fire evacuation plan and staff who know what to do at three in the morning when the alarm sounds. That includes designated persons responsible for evacuation and their documented training, an overview of the number of guests and of people with reduced mobility, instructions posted in the rooms and escape routes marked under Government Regulation No. 387/2006 Coll., free escape routes and unlocked emergency exits, working emergency lighting, and preventive fire inspections within the intervals under Section 14 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll. Portable fire extinguishers follow Section 9 of Decree No. 347/2022 Coll. with an annual check, hydrants Section 15 of Decree No. 699/2004 Coll.

Kitchen and restaurant

A hotel kitchen has the same risks as a standalone restaurant: hot media, knives, wet floors, extraction and grease filters that must be cleaned regularly. Catering facilities have their own hygiene requirements under Decree No. 533/2007 Coll., and work with unpackaged food is an epidemiologically significant activity under Sections 15 and 16 of Act No. 355/2007 Coll.

Housekeeping and laundry

Cleaning and laundry chemicals fall under Government Regulation No. 355/2006 Coll. on the protection of employees from risks related to exposure to chemical factors at work: safety data sheets, an assessed risk, procedures for dilution and storage, gloves and eye protection. Housekeeping staff are also among the occupations with the highest incidence of musculoskeletal and skin disease, which belongs in the risk assessment. Handling linen and furniture falls under Government Regulation No. 281/2006 Coll.

Wellness, pool and boiler room

Pool chemicals are one of the biggest risks in the building when stored incorrectly: chlorine products must not be stored together with acids. You need a separate, ventilated and locked area, safety data sheets and a clear dosing procedure. A gas boiler room and pressure vessels are dedicated technical equipment under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.: group A and B equipment is subject to professional inspections and tests (Section 13) and to operation by a certified person (Section 17).

Electrical appliances

Kettles in the rooms, hair dryers, fridges, kitchen equipment and extension leads are subject to regular inspections and tests. Since 1 May 2025 the applicable standard is STN 33 1630:2025, which replaced STN 33 1600 and STN 33 1610, with parallel use until 1 May 2027.

Seasonal staff

Hotels work with seasonal reinforcements. Initial training, instruction about the specific workplace and assigned PPE must come before work starts, not after. That applies in particular to new reception staff who are responsible for evacuation at night.

Ask for a quotation for your hotel or guest house, tell us the number of rooms, employees and whether you have a wellness area.