CFS offers these reminders to businesses, who are operating during the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic, or those businesses who are planning to re open, once lockdown restrictions are lifted.
As discussed in the the CFS U Tube videos and elsewhere, operating of a food business in these times requires each food business to maintain food safety practices.
Operating in these times should see a reinforcement in the importance of procedures such as
Businesses should implement additional strategies such as
Each State and Territory Health Authority has information for businesses during these times.
NSW Food Authority has some guidance available at
https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/help/covid-19-advice-for-businesses
https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/COVID-19-Coronavirus
As discussed in the the CFS U Tube videos and elsewhere, operating of a food business in these times requires each food business to maintain food safety practices.
Operating in these times should see a reinforcement in the importance of procedures such as
- Health status of staff and any visitors.
- Staff routinely wear PPE (gloves, overalls, protective clothing),
- Strict hand washing procedures,
- Rigorous, effective cleaning and sanitising programs throughout the entire facility,
Businesses should implement additional strategies such as
- Arrangements and procedures to support social distancing between employees (at least 1.5m)
- Review the shift arrangements and social interaction of workforce.
Consider separation of shifts with staggered work hours, lunch breaks.
Separation of work teams or pods of people. - Limit or control people, and their movement within the business.
Identify any roles that can work remotely, from home.
Minimise any business meetings, sales visits - consider remote/ alternative meeting strategies.
Discourage congregation of staff/ people on tea rooms, amenities or car parks.
Control entry and exit of people/ customers. - Additional handwashing and sanitising points should be set up throughout the business
- Health checks should be done on a daily basis to review the health status of workers. e.g. do staff report feeling unwell with any flu like symptoms (sore throat, fever, cough)?
Encourage staff to report any minor symptoms of illness, without retribution - Provide sufficient hours to encourage staff to work solely for the one business.
Staff to report if they have worked or attended another business. - Multiskill, upskill or plan for any essential workers/ roles to be covered should that critical person/ role be infected and need to self isolate for 14 days or longer.
- Plan for infection. Have a plan for if/ when a worker or person reports ill, or a positive Covid 19 result. Quick and timely quarantine of confirmed cases and close contacts is essential to prevent further illness, and may avoid complete shutdown of the business.
All businesses must work with local public health authorities to rapidly trace any close contact of an infected employee to minimise further risk of spread.
Prompt tracing of close contacts in the workplace ( work colleagues, and visitors) will be essential.
Each State and Territory Health Authority has information for businesses during these times.
NSW Food Authority has some guidance available at
https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/help/covid-19-advice-for-businesses
https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/COVID-19-Coronavirus
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