As people are slowly recovering from the world of social distancing and off-premise dining, restaurateurs have to come up with creative ways to keep the magic of hospitality alive.
Here are six food safety and best sanitation practices in restaurants to ensure your visitors and staff are safe:
1) Make Handwashing Mandatory
It is almost impossible to understate the significance of handwashing in curbing the spread of the virus. You should ensure that your staff wash their hands with soap and running water for at least 20 when:
- They arrive at the restaurant
- They touch surfaces in the restaurant
- In between each order
- They visit the washrooms
- They’ve done with their meals
- They’ve cleared off a table
- They’re done with their daily tasks
Update your inventory and stock hand sanitizers, clean towels, soft wipes, and soap for each handwashing station in your restaurant. It is vital for you to frequently check and refill each station to ensure supplies are available and sufficient. Also, put clear posters that highlight the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of the novel virus.
2) Equip Your Employees with PPEs
The purpose of the protective gear is to protect you and those around you from getting infected. There is a higher turnover rate in a restaurant setting, hence the need to keep your staff and clients protected. Ensure all your staff have the recommended PPEs and put on them at all times.
3) Send Home Any Staff with Covid-19 Symptoms
If any of your staff is feeling unwell, or showing tell-tale symptoms of the Coronavirus, send them home! This will protect the rest of your employees and avoid the spread of the virus to your diners.
Some of the symptoms to be on the lookout for include:
- Dry cough
- Chest pain
- Fever
- Difficulty in breathing
- Tiredness
4) Practice Social Distance
Another restaurant safety, hygiene, and sanitation practice is to make sure that all your team is working at least six feet apart. If necessary, you can mark where each employee should stand or place tapes Xs on the floor. Also, advise your employees to place meals directly on the table before the client picks it up. This will ensure minimal direct contact with clients and reduce the chances of spreading the virus.
5) Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize
While there is no conclusive research suggesting how long the virus can survive on a surface, it is vital to sanitize the entire restaurant frequently. Wipe all the surfaces, clean your dishes, and thoroughly sanitize areas with high traffic. Ensure that chairs, tables, and toilets are wiped out after use.
Be sure to have antibacterial soft wipe dispensers throughout the restaurant to kill any virus that might attach to surfaces. Our wipe dispensers ensure your facility, visitors, and staff are protected from high traffic areas.
6) Introduce Bins with PPE Stream
If you need to add PPE collection to your recycling efforts, you have to add a separate bin to your existing recycling bin or purchase a separate unit. You can choose from the wide variety of PPE bins available and help your clients and employees dispose of their PPEs effortlessly.
To ensure hygiene safety and sanitation in the restaurant, it’s crucial we work hand in hand, look after each other, and continuously adapt to other unique needs your restaurant might have. Stay safe!