In this day and age we cannot be too dismissive of terrorists threats. We must always have a boy scout mentality of always being prepared. Bad people are prowling the grounds. We must be ever vigilant much more so today than any.

Since people spend their time mostly at work due to the global economic crisis, it is just apt to discuss security procedures in the case of terrorist attacks.

Here are some of the standard operating procedures that you must know.

1. More guards should be employed during threats. Every door, entrance and exit, should be manned 24-7 without any exceptions.

2. Be sure that you contact the Government/ Police/ Bomb Squad Agencies when informed of any threats.

3. Assure that every possible procedures is followed by having regular security briefings with the guards.

4. Register and keep track of all control panels and keys / locks to ensure integrity..

5. If one person loses the master key, have all the locks in the hotel changed by hiring a specialist.

6. A map of the hotel with all the exit, entrance, and other circulation should be in the possession of security all the time.

7. All persons with temporary I.D. should always be checked on a regular basis.

8. All vehicle entering the hotel premises to be checked according to protocol.  Do not forget to check vehicles parked near / around hotel premises.

9. Exhaustive CCTV coverage on digital recording is preferred instead of time lapse VCR. Every recording should be reviewed every day and suspicious recordings to be reviewed closely.

10. Operators should have a voice recorder handy in case of bomb threats or prank calls.

11. Daily patrols should be increased in the internal parts of the hotel. Patrols should be logged and documented every step of the way.

12. Staff and crew of the hotel should be trained thoroughly in suspicious item handling.

13. Any packages and parcels should be handled and cleared according to the security measures and standards of the hotel.

14. The PA system should always be working.

15. Entry into sensitive banquets must be secured with X-ray machines and metal detectors.

16. All staff and crew should be aware and trained in any contingency plans or evacuation plans.

17. Every staff and crew should be aware of evacuation plans during fire related incidents.

There was this old cartoon called GI Joe with a public service message during every episode. One character will end up saying, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.” This is true in any work place, especially in this information age. Because information is ammunition.

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With the stomach and other digestive organs in a state of perfect health condition, one is entirely ignorant of their very existence, except when of feeling of hunger brings alertness to the fact that food is essential, or an alarm bell warns us that a adequate amount or too much has been eaten. Perfect digestion can only be maintained by cautiously monitoring all of the rules of health in regard eating habits.

On the subject of ‘Digestion and Hygiene’, I would like to quote a few paragraphs from Dr. Kellogg’s work on Physiology; it provides a brief outline of the more important points concerning this issue:

“The hygiene of digestion has to do with the quality and quantity of food eaten, in the manner of eating it.

If the food is eaten too rapidly, it will not be properly divided, and when swallowed in coarse lumps, the digestive fluids cannot readily act upon it. On account of the insufficient mastication, the saliva will be deficient in quantity, and, as a consequence, the starch will not be well digested, and the stomach will not secrete a sufficient amount of gastric juice. It is not well to eat only soft or liquid food, as we are likely to swallow it without proper chewing. A considerable proportion of hard food, which requires thorough mastication, should be eaten at every meal.

Drinking Freely at Meals is harmful, as it not only encourages hasty eating, but dilutes the gastric juice, and thus lessens its activity. The food should be chewed until sufficiently moistened by saliva to allow it to be swallowed. When large quantities of fluid are taken into the stomach, digestion does not begin until a considerable portion of the fluid has been absorbed. If cold foods or drinks are taken with the meal, such as ice-cream, ice-water, iced milk or tea, the stomach is chilled, and a long delay in the digestive process is occasioned.

Eating Between Meals

The habit of eating apples, nuts, fruits, confectionery, etc., between meals is exceedingly harmful, and certain to produce loss of appetite and indigestion. The stomach as well as the muscles and other organs of the body requires rest. The frequency with which meals should be taken depends somewhat upon the age and occupation of an individual. Infants take their food at short intervals, and owing to its simple character, are able to digest it very quickly. Adults should not take food oftener than three times a day; and persons whose employment is sedentary say, in many cases at least, adopt with advantage the plan of the ancient Greeks, who ate but twice a day.

Simplicity in Diet.

Taking too many kinds of food at a meal is a common fault which is often a cause of disease of the digestive-organs. Those nations are the most hardy and enduring whose dietary is most simple. The Scotch peasantry live chiefly upon oatmeal, the Irish upon potatoes, milk, and oatmeal, the Italian upon peas, beans, macaroni, and chestnuts; yet all these are noted for remarkable health and endurance. The natives of the Canary Islands, an exceedingly well-developed and vigorous race, subsist almost chiefly upon a food which they call gofio, consisting of parched grain, coarsely ground in a mortar and mixed with water.

Eating When Tired.

It is not well to eat when exhausted by violent exercise, as the system is not prepared to do the work of digestion well. Sleeping immediately after eating is also a harmful practice. The process of digestion cannot well be performed during sleep, and sleep is disturbed by the ineffective efforts of the digestive organs. Hence the well-known evil effects of late suppers.

Eating Too Much.

Hasty eating is the greatest cause of over-eating. When one eats too rapidly, the food is crowded into the stomach so fast that nature has no time to cry, ‘Enough,’ by taking away the appetite before too much has been eaten. When an excess of food is taken, it is likely to ferment or sour before it can be digested. One who eats too much usually feels dull after eating.”

As you can see there are more than way to get food poisoning. Take care with your eating habits.

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Training in the stewarding department is very vital to the success of any hospitality establishment or restaurant. This is why training and planning is important to the facilitation and efficiency of workflow.

The primary responsibilities of the Departmental Trainers in the stewarding department are as follows:

1. To help in the identification of the department’s training needs.

If the training department sees any inefficiency in the system of workflow, then they are obligated to help out anyway they can to come up with new training material to address the malfunction in the system.

2. To plan the training activities to satisfy these training needs.

The inefficient system in the workflow should then be addressed via training activities that will help in correcting the old system and supplanting it with a new and better one.

3. To spend at least two hours per week preparing for and conducting training.

Two hours per week is the best time to spend. Two hours is a burst of time that is efficient for employees and will not exhaust them to carry out their duties afterwards.

4. To carry out their department’s orientation training for new employees.

Orientation is really important. Since you are dealing with new employees, your task is to correct any bad habits that the incoming crew may have. Your lectures will be invaluable to the proper workflow and system of the new employees.

5. To meet with the head of departments every month to:

a. Discuss training progress in that month

b. Outline and plan future training activities for the following month.

This activity is to facilitate the inter-departmental workings of the establishment. Agreement should always be reached between the head of the departments and the training department.

6. To monitor the standards within their department and give corrective training to the employees if the standards fall below the agreed level.

The agreed level of standard is the highest one that should be upheld at all times. If the stewarding department falls behind the standard, it is the training department that should be tasked to correct them via training programs.

Why so strict?

The training and development of the stewarding department is very important. Since you are the backbone of the food and beverage department, there is no way for you to lag behind in the standards, especially the cleanliness standards.

Inter-departmental cooperation is necessary for everyone’s success. Everyone should request assistance, support or feedback from the head of Department or training department whenever needed.

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A number of businesses use hospitality programs to properly receive guests and information. Regardless of the establishment’s size, the primary duty of clerks is to keep track of all the commodities that are sent and received. While this is the main responsibility of clerks, it is essential to maintain strategies which help drive clients toward the business. So if you are handling the receiving department of your establishment, use the following tips and approaches to entertain guests and to obtain necessary information from them.

How to Approach Guests

Entertaining guests is one of the major concerns of the receiving clerk. Greetings and gestures play an important role in keeping your clients inside the business. If you wish to have full client security, the clerk must follow these steps in accommodating guests:

• A simple “Good Morning” will always impress clients. Sending them the appropriate greetings is a way to convey value and respect.
• Make yourselves available. When the guest needs something, try the best possible ways to provide them with what they need.
• Observe courtesy and friendliness.
• Be informative. Clients need all information they can get from receiving clerks. It is a must that you know every detail concerning a transaction as you are answerable to them.

Receiving Information

The primary function of a receiving clerk is to record and note all incoming shipments. The job also includes preparation of the necessary shipping documents, mailing labels, and the like. All papers should be properly filled out so a reliable copy of records is made.

The clerk will also determine if the orders have been placed correctly. The good’s condition should also be checked by the clerk upon receipt of the package. Among the other things to be validated are the quantity, discrepancies in price, and sometimes the discounts. The goods will also be moved to their assigned sections and arranged for adjustments in the event of loss or damage.

Reports and Documentation

There are also some important tips in the documentation of records. Here is the list:

• The packages should be complete with a brief detailed description of the item, the quantity of the package received, and the order’s item number.
• The descriptions should be copied from the Release or Purchase Order.
• Comments must be indicated and communicated on the Receiving Report to alert the Purchasing Personnel of the problem.
• Partially received packages should be invoiced.

Other Important Tips to Consider

Apart from the advices stated above, there are many other tips when receiving people and information. Here are some examples:

• Preliminary inspection should be meticulously done once the package is received.
• Generally, packages have to be delivered within 24 hours of receipt.
• Damages are to be reported no later than 24 hours after delivery of the item.
• Proper labeling and documentation of goods must be secured by the receiving clerk.

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