WESTERVILLE, OHIO—IEHA and Phoenix-based Best Western International (BWI) are partnering to produce the first Healthy Hotel Housekeeper (HHH) Certification, with the goal to make hotel environments cleaner and healthier by empowering housekeeping professionals with knowledge and training, supported by an ongoing certification program administered by IEHA.
BWI, representing more than 4000 hotels globally, and some 2,200 domestic properties, is the largest midscale hotel chain in the world, and the IEHA Healthy Hotel Housekeeper Certification Level One (HHH L1) will be offered first to BWI’s U.S. directors of housekeeping (DOHs) in tandem with BWI’s membership commitment to IEHA, and IEHA’s commitment to IEHA members’ professional growth.
According to IEHA CEO and executive director Beth Risinger, “IEHA is pleased to collaboratively develop—with BWI as a pioneering hotel and market leader—this unique IEHA ‘Healthy Hotel Housekeeper Certification’ program. We applaud and thank Best Western for assisting us in continuing to provide educational and training products of excellence in the hospitality field.”
Adds Structure to More Healthful Care
According to Allen Rathey, president of The Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI), serving as the lead content developer in collaboration with IEHA and BWI, “The HHH certification simplifies and builds upon the broad and robust platform of professional facilities leadership and skills training developed by the nonprofit IEHA, but adds structural elements essential to more healthful care and cleaning of indoor environments of hotels.”
“With the introduction of our I Care Clean program, our mission was to empower our housekeeping professionals with the tools and training to help ensure we continue to win customer satisfaction, loyalty and ultimately trust,” said Mike Nalley, BWI senior manager of Education & Training. “Our partnership with IEHA helps take our training to the next level and demonstrates our continued commitment to leading the industry in customer care.”
Qualified content reviewers will be engaged at each stage of the curriculum’s development to ensure accuracy and relevance of the information, including public health leaders, consultants, environmental scientists, microbiologists, the Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) and its advisory group.
The curriculum will be contained in an illustrated hands-on workbook and study guide for BWI DOHs to prepare them to take and pass a proctored exam resulting in HHH L1 Certification.
Go to IEHA and Best Western.
