10 Apr 2020
Governments around the world consider both the medical and the food industry as strategic sectors during this crisis. Since you are helping communities around the globe by providing them essential food, we are socially responsible for keeping our activities going.
As the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues, it is essential to apply thorough hygiene guidelines. In order to help you fight and contain the virus, we have gathered some additional, precautionary measures you can take.
Clean the working environment
Maintaining a clean environment for both your customers and team members is now the number one priority. That is why it is important to pay extra attention to cleaning surfaces and objects that are touched by different people, including:
- Payment terminals
- Counters
- Kitchen benches
- Work desks
- Door handles
- Cash registers
- Soap dispensers
- Computer (keyboards)
Implement a cleaning schedule to make these efforts part of a routine and inform your customers and staff members accordingly.
Focus on Personal hygiene
For everyone to practice good hygiene and prevent the virus from spreading, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly advises to:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and disinfect them with hand sanitizers
- Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from other people
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze (if so, dispose of the used tissue immediately.)
- Do not shake hands
Additionally, to avoid touching products with your hands, favour using serving tongs and hygiene gloves.
It is also advised for staff and contractors to have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water as well as placing sanitizing hand rub dispensers in prominent places.
You can also (help) remind people of best practices, by displaying posters promoting hand-washing thanks to the help of your local public health authority or by consulting WHO).
Help Social distancing
One effective solution to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak is social distancing.
To help and build trust among your customers, you can:
- Stimulate contactless payments and create a ‘transaction unit’, where you can place the ordered goods for people to collect while keeping distance.
- Guarantee that customers stay one meter apart. Place visual aids on the floor - with for example tape - to help discipline and reassure your customers.
- Leave sufficient space for entry and exit flow and communicate a ‘one in, one out’ policy.
- Limit the number of customers inside, according to the size of your shop. Use communication on the door to indicate the maximum of people.
- When there are lines outside, emphasize the importance of keeping distance again.
Be transparent and empathize
Everyone is now having trouble to oversee and understand the situation. Your staff members and customers will understand that the same goes for you. Retain their trust and help them remain calm and focused by being honest and transparent about the situation and approach it with empathy.
By keeping open communication, people can assist each other or come up with new ideas to manage the situation even better.
