Recommendations for

the Food Industry

Continuing the Basics of COVID-19 Prevention at Work.

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Although the COVID-19 outbreak seems to be stabilizing in some parts of the world, its rate has increased in others (including the U.S.), which has established a “new normal” for people and businesses. TAG forecasts that this “new normal” will extend beyond 4 to 6 weeks, and into the next 4 to 6 months. This “new normal” must focus on the basics of risk mitigation (depicted in TAG’s COVID-19 Preventive Control Pyramid):

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1. Employee Wellness Checks

2. Social Distancing, Respiratory Etiquette, and Hygiene (frequent handwashing, avoid touching face, nose, eyes, and mouth)

3. Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection

4. Non-medical masks

 

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Your business must continue to employ these four basic practices for YOUR continuity and to protect your workforce. This week, we will discuss each control separately. Today, we focus on the base of the pyramid of risk mitigation strategy: Employee Wellness Checks.

 

As the pandemic continues, it is imperative that employers continue to assess employees’ health. Thus, TAG recommends that all companies institute Active Employee Screening Processes for all employees. Upon employee arrival, and periodically through the day:

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• Ask ALL employees daily questions about their current health, travel, and close contacts. 

• Include questions on primary symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) and secondary symptoms (loss of smell or taste (anosmia), tiredness or fatigue, sore throat, headache, gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea) experienced in the last 24 hours. See below for the Questionnaire to use.

• Ask if the employee been exposed to a person (someone in their household, intimate partner, or close-contact) with symptomatic COVID-19 during the period from 48 hours before symptoms onset throughout the period of symptoms. 

• Conduct daily, or more frequent, temperature checks. Non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs) are becoming more available, so are recommended if available and appropriate.

 

Specifically, the questions to be asked are as such:

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General Screening Questions:

1. Employee’s first name:

2. Is the employee experiencing or showing symptoms in the last 24 hours?

   • Primary symptoms:

     • Fever?

     • Cough?

     • Difficulty breathing?

   • Secondary symptoms:

     • Loss of smell or taste (anosmia)

     • Tiredness or fatigue

     • Sore throat

     • Headache

     • Gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea)

3. Has the employee been exposed to a person (someone in their household, intimate partner, or close-contact) with symptomatic COVID-19 during the period from 48 hours before symptoms onset until meeting the criteria for discontinuing home isolation?   This can be a laboratory-confirmed disease or a clinically compatible illness (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) in a state or territory with widespread community transmission). If so, please explain.

   • How and when did the exposure happen?

 

Finally, we leave today with the importance of reminding your workforce that COVID-19 is easily spread through respiratory droplets. It is imperative that social-distancing and good hygiene be practiced. We will further discuss these tomorrow.

Everyone should practice social distancing (more specifically, physical distancing), not only those who are ill or at higher-risk (e.g. older individuals, pre-existing conditions) but also among healthy individuals so we may "flatten the curve".

 

Please feel free to use this free poster at your establishment. Please email us (info@achesongroup.com) for a copy of this poster (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Chinese - simplified, traditional are available).