Planning To Reopen - Food Services

5/13/2020 (Permalink)

This is the eighth installment in a series of blogs that we hope will help our communities begin to prepare for the state of Massachusetts to reopen.

Tuesday, during his press conference, Governor Baker seemed determined not to reveal any new information about what specific types of businesses might be allowed to reopen first. As it stands, next Monday the Reopening Advisory Board will present its full report. At that time we will learn which activities and industries are deemed to be safe to resume in each phase. Included will be protocols for how different industries should operate to ensure public safety.

To get a head of the curve the following is the FDA's industry specific best practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services. 

Managing Employee Health

• Instruct employees with symptoms associated with COVID-19 to report them to their supervisors. Instruct sick employees to stay home and to follow the CDC’s What to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consult with the local health department for additional guidance. 
• If an employee is sick at work, send them home immediately. Clean and disinfect surfaces in their workspace. Others at the facility with close contact (i.e., within 6 feet) of the employee during this time should be considered exposed.  
• Instruct employees who are well, but know they have been exposed to COVID-19, to notify their supervisor and follow CDC-recommended precautions (see below).
• Inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, if an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, while maintaining confidentiality.
• Implement workplace controls to reduce transmission among employees, such as those described below which can be found in the CDC's Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for workers who may have had exposure to a person thought or known to have COVID-19.
  • Employers - Pre-screen (e.g., take temperature and assess symptoms prior to starting work).
  • Employers - Disinfect and clean work spaces and equipment, and consider more frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces.
  • Employees - Regularly self-monitor (e.g., take temperature and assess symptoms of coronavirus).
  • Employees - Wear a mask or face covering.
  • Employees - Practice social distancing and stay at least 6 feet from other people whenever possible.
• For additional information when employees may have been exposed to COVID-19, refer to CDC’s Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for workers who may have had exposure to a person thought or known to have COVID-19.
• For additional information on employee health and hygiene and recommendations to help prevent worker transmission of foodborne illness, refer to FDA’s Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook.
  • If FDA recommendations differ from CDC’s regarding employee health and COVID-19, follow CDC.
• For returning previously sick employees to work, refer to CDC's Guidance for Discontinuation of Home Isolation for persons with COVID-19.
• Follow CDC and FDA information on PPE (i.e., gloves, face masks/coverings, and protective gear).
• Understand risk at the workplace — use OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
• Frequently review the CDC, FDA and OSHA websites for updates to their guidelines.

We will continue to share with you guidance from the CDC, FDA, OSHA and the Governor's office to follow to prepare for reopening. Also, we at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley know that not every business has access to the resources necessary to meet these strict guidelines. For those businesses, we are here to help!

Specialized Training

The Disaster Remediation Teams at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley are specialists in cleaning services and we adhere to the highest cleaning and sanitation standards. We are prepared to clean and disinfect your home or business, according to protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have years of experience in dealing with biological contaminants, and we will go beyond the scope of work of "normal daily cleaning". Call SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley today for a free consultation - (617) 332-9000.

All of us here at SERVPRO of Newton/Wellesley want you and your loved ones to stay safe and know that we will make it through this together! Rest assured, we will continue to do our best to keep you up-to-date and informed!