When You’re Store is Considered ‘Essential’ How Can You Help to Keep Your Employees Safe

When You’re Store is Considered ‘Essential’ How Can You Help to Keep Your Employees Safe

Store owners and employees, it is imperative we use these precautions for store operation:

• All employees should maintain a 6ft distance from shoppers and other personnel
• Wearing plastic gloves throughout your time in the store is strongly suggested and should you sneeze/cough/touch your face while wearing them; please discard properly
• Frequent breaks to wash hands should be put into place by management
• Wiping down frequently touched surfaces should be a priority
• Lunch/Dinner breaks should be given with proper distance between each employee and where you can, be sure to utilize the use of single-use utensils or employees providing their own utensils (vs. break room utensils)
• Minimizing prepared foods can save not only your bottom line, but also the spread of germs from the people preparing the meal to those consuming
• Ultimately, if an employee is feeling sick – do not allow them to come in regardless of the strain it may cause. Healthy is best at this time…and always!

 

Customers, those going into the store to shop and going home:

• A key way to prevent the virus’s spread is to stay 6 feet away from other people. The CDC notes that’s generally the distance within which people pick up coronavirus droplets through the air from a cough or sneeze.
• Go shopping at a time that’s less busy. If you type in the store’s name and location in Google search, a box often will pop up showing when foot traffic there is highest.
• Take germicide with you. Wipe your hands and the cart before and after you shop.
• Use a credit or debit card. That way, you don’t have to hand over bills or receive change. Also, use your own pen to sign receipts.
• If you can, use a virtual payment system like Apple Pay so that you don’t have to open your wallet at all.
• Clean all nonporous containers. Simple rubbing with soap and water can kill the coronavirus because it tears apart its outer barrier. So use dish soap on plastic, glass, and metal before putting them away. If that’s not practical, wash your hands well after putting away all packaging, including paper boxes and bags.
• It also doesn’t hurt to wash your hands after opening the containers and using their contents. A preliminary study shows the coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic doesn’t survive on cardboard longer than 24 hours
• Wash your hands, counter, and other surfaces you’ve touched. Do this after you’ve put away the groceries.
• Scrub produce with soap and water. COVID-19 is from a family of viruses likely deactivated by contact with soap and water. Washing your fruit and vegetables with soap and water should eliminate any live virus. What’s more, rubbing fruit and vegetables under running water.
• Hard-skinned produce, scrub skins or peels with a soft-bristled vegetable brush, using dish or hand soap and warm water. For other types of produce, including leafy greens, soak in soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

For customers picking up pre-packed orders:

• Avoid a direct hand-off
• Consider opening your car door yourself rather than having the person bringing the items to your car touch the handle. And if you can tip on a supermarket’s app, do so rather than handing over cash.
• Order earlier than you usually do. Though it’s not a safety issue, you may find that in the midst of higher demand you have to wait longer.

 

We are taking all precautions to remain healthy while still being able to provide top-notch service to our customers. We know that is a direct line to keep your customers safe, healthy and happy. If you have any questions as to what we, or our manufacturing partners are doing, please do not hesitate to contact us here.