You could go from managing budgets and financial plans to promoting and marketing the business within minutes; there's always something going on and you're at the heart of it all.

While the aim is to make sure your guests are happy and safe on the premises, it also means your staff need to be safe when on the job too, and they need to be aware that the hotel manager has practices in place that will keep them safe even when they're not around to assist.

With so many different types of roles involved in the hospitality industry, it's crucial that a hotel manager remains on the ball and understands the demands of each role - so, here are 4 ways you can keep your staff safe when managing a hotel.

  1. REGULAR RISK ASSESSMENTS

Risk assessments are a simple yet effective way of ensuring that the premises are safe for everyone, including your staff.

Risk assessments will help you identify any serious issues which could harm your staff members, and it can also be pointed out to them if the problem is unable to get fixed immediately - such as visibly putting up the appropriate signs - until the risk has been eliminated.

The hotel manager should regularly attempt to identify all of the possible hazards in and around the hotel as soon as possible, before evaluating the risk and calculating the type of precautions the staff need to take, and then finally implement a plan of action.

While staff around the hotel should obviously bring up hazards they notice, it's down to the hotel manager to take full control of the situation.

  1. UPGRADE SECURITY

Guests won't stay at a hotel if they know it isn't safe, while staff won't want to work at a place that isn't safe either, so security for everyone involved should be a top priority for a hotel manager.

Security can mean interviewing and employing trustworthy individuals who are experienced in that field, as the safety of everyone in the hotel will be their responsibility. It could also mean the hotel manager regularly checks to make sure security equipment, such as CCTV, is working at all times.

Staff can be placed in danger too; for example, if a member of staff is approached by an aggressive guest, that guest may put the staff member's safety at risk by becoming violent or confrontational. If equipment is working, then the situation will be spotted instantly and it can be avoided as there might not be any other way staff can contact the hotel manager.

If the security equipment isn't working, then the hotel manager would be to blame for failing to protect the staff on that front. Upgrades in security systems can be expensive, but the big investment will be worth it in the end.

  1. TRAINING

With so many varying roles involved in a hotel, it's important that the manager ensures everyone goes through thorough training, regardless of the department.

It could be beneficial to keep training logs of all staff members too, where managers can track the progress and won't make the mistake of putting someone in a task which could be too advanced for them.

Make sure employees all receive training on how to use relevant equipment, how to deal with confrontational guests or even how to check guests in and out - every area must be covered, depending on the role.

Without training, staff could be endangering themselves by becoming an easy target for unpleasant or aggressive guests who aren't satisfied with the service, or by making a fatal error when using equipment they've probably never used before, such as using electrical equipment with no prior experience.

It's down to the hotel manager to make sure that no staff member is thrown in at the deep end, and it should be made a top priority whenever a new employee joins, regardless of how long it takes to perfect.

  1. EQUIPMENT

While uniforms and name tags are required, an extra effort should be made by the hotel manager to make sure staff have the most reliable equipment available to them - they need to feel safe on the job.

Hotel staff never have the opportunity to sit down, whether it's cleaning the bathrooms, changing bed sheets or exerting energy by pushing heavy carts over a thick carpet in the hallways - the least a hotel manager should do is provide comfortable footwear to go with their uniform.

That can range from providing slip-resistant and comfortable shoes for staff that are on their feet all day, or even buying other equipment such as protective gloves for those that are dealing with chemicals to clean on a daily basis.

They're putting their health and well-being at risk for the business, so the hotel manager should always invest in the safest equipment possible so accidents and injuries don't occur in the workplace.

While being a hotel manager is already a big ask with so many responsibilities, going out of your way to keep staff safe will make them appreciate the role you're playing, and there will be fewer unwanted situations on your plate in the long-run.