All workers who are on the job during this pandemic must be protected from disease transmission. To help we’ve put together a list of guidelines for keeping workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
School Closures Deprive Students of More than Just Classroom Learning
Over the last several weeks, our nation has faced one of the most challenging times in our history. In an effort to keep students safe from the coronavirus, schools have shut down. Unfortunately, there’s one big problem this presents – school meals are a necessary staple for many families across the country.
Worker Safety and Health in Crisis
Food service teams are working long hours to ensure students have food while schools are closed. In addition to worrying that students could possibly go hungry, one of the biggest concerns for administrators is the physical well-being of their staff. While school kitchens are among the cleanest and most sanitary places to be, what the staff are exposed to during distribution could be counterproductive.
Tips for Keeping Workers Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic
Protecting the health and safety of your staff during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential. This in turn will protect the public. Below are the guidelines recommended by the CDC to keep employees safe.
- Increase physical distancing between people to six feet. This is the most critical safety guideline for employers to follow to protect workers and the public. Visible signage helps to provide instructions without having to dedicate critical resources to crowd control.
- Everyone should wear masks. CDC has just announced new guidelines recommending that the public wear cloth face masks in settings where social distancing is not always possible to maintain.
- Wash hands frequently. Employers should promote frequent and thorough hand washing, including providing workers with a place to wash their hands when working remotely.
- Good housekeeping. Maintain regular cleaning/sanitizing practices, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, equipment and other elements of the work environment.
- Cleaning and disinfecting facilities after confirmed COVID-19 exposure. The CDC’s recommendations state that “current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials”. This guidance provides recommendations on the cleaning and disinfection of rooms or areas occupied by those with suspected or with confirmed COVID-19.
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to school food service professionals for the critical work they are doing every day. Please know that HUBERT® is always dedicated to helping you –and we’re taking even more steps to help during this extraordinary, heightened time of need. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to help during this time.
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