It is a great feeling to be able to entertain and accommodate a guest in your home and to show your best side as a host. The guest senses this and usually honors this with a return visit and positive word of mouth.

Friendliness, safety, hygiene and cleanliness are particularly important in the customer’s assessment. The operator and insurance risks are kept low by regularly carrying out the necessary inspections and maintenance.

These issues should therefore not be left to chance and should be treated as a top priority.

It is not only the guest who pays particular attention to these points, but also the legislator (in the event of damage, the public prosecutor) or the insurance companies. Particularly in the area of bathing facilities, escape routes, fire protection and hygiene, they have clear requirements – so that the guest leaves safe and sound and the hotel is not damaged. Particular attention must be paid to the reliable functioning of safety equipment (e.g. fire alarm system, escape and safety lighting, smoke and heat extraction systems, etc.), the continuous monitoring of escape routes and the easy accessibility of extinguishing aids (e.g. fire extinguishers, push-button alarms, etc.).

The basis for safe and legally compliant operation is compliance with the legal requirements (e.g. in accordance with the Labor Act – ArG, Spatial Planning Act – RPG) and is an essential obligation of the building and facility operator. In the course of the building permit (in accordance with canton-specific building regulations), the structural requirements and the effects of the hotel or catering business on the environment and neighbors with regard to noise, dust, odor or vibrations, among other things, are recorded, assessed and reduced to a permissible level by means of appropriate conditions (e.g. noise barriers, filters, etc.). Subsequent changes to the use, size, appearance or facilities may be subject to approval under building regulations or building planning law if these changes are legally significant. This may result in adjustments to, for example, room height, escape routes, sanitary facilities, fire and noise protection, employee protection or the number of parking spaces.

Another important issue is monitoring and ensuring property safety. The legal basis for this lies in “plant owner liability” (Swiss Code of Obligations – OR – Art. 58, VUV), according to which the owner/operator of a property/building is responsible for preventing personal injury and damage to property. If a person is injured by the property, building or facility, the person responsible for the property (usually the managing director, owner, operations manager, etc.) is held accountable under criminal and civil law if they cannot prove that they did everything in their power to prevent the accident.

The safety-related condition of the property/property should therefore be inspected regularly and recurrently for risks by experienced experts – the frequency depends on the degree of risk (probability of occurrence & severity of damage – these factors result predominantly from the location, the age and condition of the building, the type and number of conversions, the number of persons affected by the risk and the intensity of use) and should be checked at least every 2 years or, from the age of 10 years, at least every 10 years. every 2 years or at least once a year from an age of 10 years. once a year.

Which safety-relevant systems require special attention in hotels and restaurants?
The main points here are fire protection, the electrical system and escape routes. When it comes to fire protection, it is particularly important to ensure that the fire alarm system is working properly, that fire extinguishers are maintained and that the kitchen exhaust air system is cleaned

Fire alarm systems must be kept operational at all times (in accordance with ArG, ArGV, fire protection authorities, VKF Directive 20-15, SES Directive BMA, canton-specific regulations) and at least carry out visual and functional checks at least every 6 months and maintenance once a year. As part of the latter, the batteries are generally replaced every 4 years and the optical fire detectors every 8 years. In addition, the system must be inspected by an accredited body for fire alarm systems when it is commissioned and then every 15 years (every 8 years if there is a particular risk to persons (see Fire Protection and Fire Service Ordinance)). After 15 years, the system must be assessed by a VKF-approved specialist company.

Fire extinguishers must be freely accessible at all times and must be serviced every 3 years by a certified expert (in accordance with LGVS).

Kitchen ventilation systems (extractor hoods, ventilation ducts, fans, etc.) must be checked annually (in accordance with ArGV 3, VKF) and regularly cleaned and the filters replaced (frequency depends on the amount of grease in the exhaust air – check at least every 6 months), particularly for reasons of fire protection (flashover due to grease fire in the ventilation duct) and hygiene (see VDI 6022).

In the case of escape routes, attention must be paid to keeping them clear, correct marking (in accordance with VKF 17-03d) using pictograms (must also be visible in the dark), ongoing inspection and annual maintenance (in accordance with SN-EN 50172) of the escape route/safety lighting by a specialist company or testing by an accredited inspection body (in accordance with ArGV).

In the case of poorly ventilated underground car parks, the authorities may prescribe a CO warning system – this measures the CO and _NO2 concentration (CO is potentially lethal) in the air; if a critical value is exceeded, an alarm is triggered. The correct functioning of these systems must be continuously monitored and checked every 12 months by a specialist company (in accordance with SKWI VA103-01).

Which facilities are particularly relevant in terms of hygiene?
Swimming pools are a particularly sensitive area – it is important to employ trained staff (qualified “pool attendant with igba certificate of competence”) to ensure safe, smooth and hygienic operation.

The most important tasks include the organization, control and documentation of the operation, the regular control of the water quality (contamination) and the chlorine content as well as the safe functioning of all systems (hair trap safety (according to DIN EN 13451). The risk of legionella bacteria should also be taken very seriously. Legionella are bacteria that enter the lungs via aerosols and can cause dangerous pneumonia in humans (5-10% of cases are fatal). Especially in whirlpools, swimming pools, air conditioning systems and in water pipes with low water flow (at temperatures of 25 – 50°C) there is an increased probability of Legionella formation. The contaminated aerosols (e.g. when showering) get into the lungs and can trigger the symptoms of the disease. A general system temperature of > 60°C and regular flushing of all hot water tapping points (especially after long downtimes, e.g. before the start of the season) with hot water (ideally > 70°C) can help here. In addition, an annual laboratory test of the drinking water for legionella is recommended.

For air conditioning and refrigeration systems or heat pumps (> 3kg refrigerant), a recurring inspection/maintenance (interval at least once a year) (in accordance with ChemRRV, SN EN 378) including disinfection and cleaning of the heat/refrigerant exchangers is more than advisable for reasons of hygiene and efficiency. Disinfection and cleaning of the heat/refrigerant exchangers is more than advisable for reasons of hygiene and efficiency.

Hygiene and safety (due to the use of toxic CO²) must also be maintained at the dispensing system (in accordance with ArGV). every 2 years or acc. The entire system must therefore be inspected and maintained by a qualified person at least every two years or in accordance with the risk assessment. Cleaning must always be carried out after longer periods of standstill, in the case of very low beverage throughput and when changing beverages. Systems below ground level (cellars) often require a _CO2 warning system or a ventilation system. These must also be checked and maintained accordingly. If a grease or oil separator is installed, this must also be emptied every 14 days in a documented manner (proof of disposal), a monthly self-inspection, maintenance every 12 or 6 months and a general inspection every 5 years (in accordance with GSchG, GSchV, GSchV). GSchG, GSchV, VVEA, SN EN 1825-2 (grease separators), ISO 5667-3, SN EN 858-2 (oil separators) by experts (VSA)).

Who should carry out the inspections
Most ongoing inspections can be carried out by your own in-house technicians if they have the appropriate qualifications (e.g. fire safety officer, pool attendant, etc.), as defects/damage are usually easy to spot with the naked eye. However, if in doubt, a specialist should always be consulted to assess the criticality of a defect in order to avoid misjudgements.

All statutory inspections/maintenance must be carried out by an expert and the general inspections by your expert.

Particularly in the case of possible criminal or insurance law issues, the facts should always be sufficiently documented with pictures or in writing (in case of doubt by a specialist company) to ensure meaningful evidence in the event of damage.

To meet this responsibility, at least when it comes to maintenance/inspection, and to avoid missing any more appointments in future, it’s best to download our MyBuilding24 app(for Android, for Apple) right away.
You can record all your devices and systems that require inspection and maintenance and manage the associated appointments there.
With a complete list of maintenance work available at all times, you are always on the safe side.

Glossary

Legislation:

Occupational Health and Safety Act – ArG – SR 822.11:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1966/57_57_57/de

Health Protection Ordinance – ArGV 3:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1993/2553_2553_2553/de

Accident Prevention Ordinance – VUV – SR 832.30:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1983/1968_1968_1968/de

Ordinance on Air Pollution Control – LRV:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1986/208_208_208/de

Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance – ORRChem:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2005/478/de#lvl_d3294e432

Water Protection Act – GSchG:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1992/1860_1860_1860/de

Water Protection Ordinance – GSchV:
https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1998/2863_2863_2863/de

VDI 6022 – Guideline for hygiene requirements for ventilation and air-conditioning systems:
https://www.vdi.de/fileadmin/pages/vdi_de/redakteure/richtlinien/inhaltsverzeichnisse/2751070.pdf

VKF Guidelines – Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers:
https://www.bsvonline.ch/de/vorschriften/

Code of Obligations: