A checklist for small food manufacturers.
This is a general check-list for operating a food plant during the current COVID-19 restrictions. Your USDA inspector or local government may require you to keep logs and add further procedures in order to operate while COVID-19 restrictions on manufacturing environments are in place.
Access
- Employees or visitors entering a plant must have their temperature checked. Ideally you can set-up an automatic procedure using thermal imaging that will also record employee/visitor name, time and temperature along with contact details. A recent government study is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294528/
But you should do your own research for the best system to fit your needs and can be supported by your IT system.
- Deliveries – driver must contact office prior to arriving to arrange for a time at loading dock. Off-loading onto loading dock while keeping safe distance from the employee checking delivery. Both driver and employee must wear masks.
- Exterior of all incoming product is to be sprayed with disinfectant prior to transport to storage area.
- Service visits – all personnel must have a temperature check on arrival and wear masks.
- Office visits by appointment only – everyone must wear masks.
Public areas/office
- Office areas are for office employees only
- All staff to wear masks
- All desks separated by 6 ft.
- Public areas/office to be sanitized daily
- Reception area separated from entrance way with plastic partition
- Bathroom to be sanitized twice daily
- Hand sanitizer station at entrance door and in office and to be clearly marked
Employee Locker Rooms and Employee Bathrooms
- Bathrooms and Locker rooms sanitized during lunch period and again at end of day
- Hand sanitizer dispensers in both bathrooms and locker rooms
- Employees must wear masks
Employee Break Room
- Sanitized before lunch and at end of day
- Stagger seating to allow for distancing
- Stagger breaks to minimize crowding
- Hand sanitizer station
- Disposable dishes and utensils
- Refrigerator must be emptied every night and sanitized
Production Area
- Sanitized twice daily (before production and after production).
- Equipment and small wares sanitized before production, after product change and at end of production
- If possible separate work areas by 6 ft.
- If not, separate work areas with either plastic panels or shower curtains
- All employees must wear masks
- Hand sanitizer stations placed around production area
For Management:
- Provide clean uniforms for daily change
- Provide free masks and other PPE as needed
- Log employee temperature records
- Get employee input and suggestions
- Have a policy for sending home anybody with symptoms or fever
- Have a policy of handling staff that violates safety procedures or protocol
- Document sanitizing by keeping a log.
- Review with your USDA inspector, if not applicable your local Health Inspector
- Do not tolerate exceptions.
- Have employees sign-off that they have been trained on COVID-19 procedures and keep document in their personnel file.
