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Top tips for coming out of lockdown
March 30, 2021
As the food and drink sector takes its first steps on the path to normal service, East Lothian Food and Drink has this advice on how to open safely and reassure your customers.
Top Tip 1 – Engage with your staff and review your risk assessments together
- Ensure everyone is clear on their role and the procedures.
- Set up steps to monitor that your controls are followed every day. Record what you have done to monitor.
- Think about the need for work cohorts (bubbles).
- Make sure everyone can get to work and return home safely.
Top Tip 2 – Utility services
- the water system
- air conditioning units
Top Tip 3 – Ventilation
There must be an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of your workplace. Identify poorly ventilated areas and maximise ventilation by:
- Natural ventilation – open windows, doors (excluding fire doors), and air vents.
- Mechanical ventilation – use fans and ducts to bring in air from outside.
- A combination of both Natural and Mechanical ventilation.
Top Tip 4 – Hand hygiene and cleaning
Provide enough alcohol-based hand gel stations throughout the business for employees and customers to maintain cleans hands. Important to maintain clean hands throughout the working day.
Design a cleaning schedule and train staff on its implementation. Include:
- Work areas
- Staff rooms
- Canteens
- Toilets
- Equipment
- Frequent touch points (door handles, trollies, baskets, handheld devices etc)
Ensure these areas are cleaned and disinfected during the working day.
Top Tip 5 – Prepare for physical distancing
You are required to keep a 2-metre physical distance between all persons to minimise COVID-19 transmission. Remember to identify pinch points and busy areas.
Consider how you will:
- Limit customer numbers into shop at one time
- Manage queues inside and outdoors e.g. 2m interval floor markings
- Mark 2m intervals on the floor inside
- Introduce safe routes i.e. One-way systems
- Remind customers of physical distancing i.e. tannoy announcements or taped messages
- Highlight pinch points and busy areas with signs to remind about physical distancing
- Screen at service counters
- Stagger start times, finish times and breaks