Monarch Brands is a part of the Hospeco Brands Group family of brands.

Monarch Brands is a part of the Hospeco Brands Group family of brands.

Food Operations During COVID

Are your Foodservice Operations Safe?

While things are starting to return to normal in many locations throughout the country, foodservice operations must proceed carefully. While many establishments will be thrilled to welcome their customers back in higher numbers, the CDC still recommends several procedures and guidelines to ensure we all keep heading toward safe and efficient operations in food-related industries.

We suggest looking at all the details of these rules and guidelines put in place by the CDC for yourself. To read these recommendations, visit their Considerations for Restaurant and Bar Operators page, as well as their What Grocery and Food Retail Workers Need to Know about COVID-19 page. Meanwhile, we can explore a few of the most important points to see the biggest impact on our ability to open back up and stay open.

So, let’s break it down and look at some of the suggestions for different food operations and then delve into how you can better protect your customers, staff, and yourself during COVID.

Commercial kitchen worker washing up at sink in professional kit

Grocery and Food Retail Establishments

First and foremost, you must share any plan you put in place for following CDC guidelines with your employees. From there, you can maintain the proper expectations and make sure everyone is contributing to a safer environment.

After that, it’s all about creating a sanitary work environment and reducing potential transmission among employees. You can do this by following the guidelines below.

  • Encouraging employees who feel sick to stay at home.
  • Educate your employees on accurate COVID information.
  • Train your employees on proper handwashing and other cleanliness practices.
  • Know which employees are at high risk for severe illnesses and do everything you can to reduce those risks.
  • Ensure employees have access to the soap, clean water, hand sanitizers, and other materials they need.
  • Increase the distance between employees, customers, and coworkers as much as possible.
  • Open as many checkout lanes as possible to increase distancing capabilities.
  • Move the credit card reader further away from the cashier to increase distances.
  • Put up signs and make verbal announcements to help people remember to keep their distance.
  • Use floor decals and other visual cues to help customers estimate distances.
  • Reschedule stocking activities, so they don’t happen at peak hours.
Shopping cart standing by the Please Stand Here sticker at grocery store during COVID
Cash register worker wearing PPE scanning items

Routine Cleaning Tips

Setting up and maintaining new cleaning routines is essential to food operations during COVID. The situation is changing all the time, but you can help your employees and customers by creating some new consistencies – something they can rely on.

Use some of these tips to create a new, routine cleaning schedule to help protect everyone in your establishment.

  • Determine what needs to be cleaned and how often you need to clean it.
  • Determine if you need to disinfect an area regularly.
  • Make sure you have the wet floor cleaning and dry surface cleaning supplies you need.
  • Focus on high-touch surfaces, such as counters, shopping carts, tables, light switches, etc.
  • Wear gloves for any cleaning tasks.
  • Wash hands after any cleaning task.
  • Always follow the instructions on your disinfectants.
  • Make sure the area is properly ventilated.
M83000 group
Flatmop Bucket with Sieve, Lid, and Castors
Waiter wearing mask coughing into his elbow

What if Someone Gets Sick?

If a customer or a staff member gets sick, there are some things you can do to minimize the risks for anyone else in the area.

  • Close off the areas in which the person spent some time.
  • Wait as long as you can before disinfecting and cleaning.
  • Open the doors and windows, if possible, to get the air circulating.
  • Wear a mask and gloves when cleaning the area.
  • Vacuum the space if needed, using equipment with a HEPA filter.
  • Launder any rags, aprons, or other items the sick person may have used.

The FDA also offers an extensive checklist for employee health and food safety. Be sure to check it out if you’d like further tips on operating your food-related business during these difficult times. While there are hints of light at the end of this tunnel, it’s still important – especially in the food industry – to continue taking all the right precautions to keep our customers and employees safe and healthy. Foodservice operations must proceed carefully when moving forward in the post-covid landscape. Monarch Brands can help facilitate that for your customers.

Call Today to Learn More about Products for Safe Foodservice Operations.

(215) 485-6100

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