A key aspect of Indian Hotels’ (IHCL’s) leadership-driven safety strategy are the revamped Gemba Walks, where senior management visits the front lines to identify improvement opportunities and issues. Historically conducted once per month, these safety inspections now occur four times monthly, with at least one walk led by the General Manager. The broad scope of these inspections include guest rooms, public spaces, back-of-house operations, support facilities, and construction sites, ensuring accountability at all levels of operations. The senior management’s regular presence sends a powerful message about prioritising safety and creating a culture of security throughout the organisation.
Context
The leadership at IHCL is committed to building a culture of safety in the organisation, going over and above health and safety policies. This culture is driven by the senior managements’ emphasis and actions demonstrating the importance of maintaining and promoting safety at work.
Deeply embedded in the organisation’s operational ethos, the enhanced environment, health, safety, and fire life safety (EHS/FLS) initiatives reflect IHCL’s dedication to compliance, proactive guest and employee well-being, and environmental stewardship.
Benefits
The impact of this shift in strategy has significantly improved the quality and effectiveness of IHCL’s safety measures. The revised frequency has increased visibility of potential safety issues and has led to immediate action on critical concerns, ensuring a safer environment for both guests and staff.
IHCL’s commitment to safety and sustainability is further reinforced by its unique, hospitality-specific EHS/FLS protocol that standardises practices across all properties. This approach elevates the overall safety standards, making IHCL a leader in creating secure and sustainable environments.
Actively embedding senior management within these critical safety practices, strengthens trust and reliability among the organisation’s stakeholders as well. This leadership commitment is integral to IHCL’s mission of providing a safe, sustainable, and exceptional experience for all its guests and team members.