*Darryl David, owner of Darryl’s Ice Cream Solutions, LLC. David has owned and operated businesses in the food and dairy industry for over 20 years with an emphasis on food safety and good manufacturing practices. Furthermore, his expertise in business operation practices and procedures includes all types of industries.
Food and other industries were totally unprepared for an event like COVID-19. Now that thousands of businesses have been closed or have been operating at limited capacity while adhering to federal, state, and locally imposed restrictions, the next big question is, what do businesses need to do differently starting with a soft re-opening and continuing with daily operation?
While handwashing is the first and most basic line of defense against the transmission of pathogens, as a result of COVID-19 we have discovered that only a small percentage of people knew, cared or understood the importance of handwashing or the proper way to do so. The question is, why?
Where Did Businesses Go Wrong?
Before COVID-19 made hygiene safety practices a game-changer, I would emphasize to my clients that the trade for low-focus training and weak policy creates a relaxed and risky workplace. It also increases cost to the business.
Clients are typically in food manufacturing or food service, but the message is equally important in all types of business.
I fault ownership, managers, and accountants with a singular focus on reducing costs and implementing cost-cutting measures to maximize profits at the expense of proper training and protocol. Just last year this style of business thinking in the ice cream industry resulted in product recalls and facilities closing due to listeria entering the food chain. The contamination resulted in illness and death.
The COVID-19 has demonstrated that a lack of awareness and continued training, and failure to implement a higher standard of procedures than basic local health guidelines will cause businesses to be drastically affected.
Examples of a relaxed culture in the workplace:
Employees are allowed to come to work while feeling ill
The sign in the restroom states, “employees must wash hands” as opposed to, “everyone is required to wash hands.”
How Can You Adapt Post-COVID-19?
Creating processes that make following protocol unquestionably simple and easy is the best way to ensure employees are following health and safety guidelines. In my experience, this is one of the most important components to operating a successful business not only in the food industry but in all industries, if you want a business that your employees and the public can trust.
Responsible health safety policies include more than just the food and medical industry.
COVID-19 has spotlighted the fact that interactions as simple as hands coming in contact with an infected surface or a person being in the path of a sneeze can transmit pathogens.
Create Processes
In order to create processes that people will follow, you first have to understand the difference between excessive and responsible cleaning and find an appropriate middle ground.
Target Hot Spots (Transfer Spots)
Hot spots in the food industry where pathogens can be easily transmitted include doors, railings, chairs, glassware, handles, money, and cash registers.
A solution as simple as using a credit or money card with “wave” ability so contact is limited to the owners’ hand or fingers can decrease the potential for pathogenic transmissions.
Hot/Transfer Spots in Other Industries
Pathogens do not recognize boundaries and do not discriminate by industry, so where humans are involved spread will occur. From the workspace to travel or retail shopping to fueling at a gas station, all businesses need to implement better practices to conduct business to reduce the potential of lost sales with a closed business or sickened staff.
The solution to reduce or eliminate pathogen spread varies depending on the type of business operation, with some requiring more protocols and policy than others.
Make Your Social Distancing and Hygiene Policies Known
For businesses, staff hygiene protocols will vary in degree and based on the industry. In the food industry in particular, employees should be encouraged to stay home when sick. More work-from-home staff will reduce office footprint and related costs. Do not allow food or beverage at work stations. Cover keyboards with plastic wrap and change weekly. Make hand sanitizer always available.
For businesses with outside sales force: practice acknowledgment without handshaking; use electronic type document signing; keep sanitizer on-hand; wipe down car interior if guests enter; and if showing signs of illness stay at and make calls from home.
These are just a few of the numerous, but simple procedures that can be put in place to help keep your employees and the public they serve, healthy.
Where to Start?
Reopening your business with so many new processes to enforce may seem overwhelming, but COVID-19 has demonstrated that people are able to follow guidelines and learn new procedures in a short period of time. Your primary challenge will be to properly and effectively communicate standards and practices to your employees.
When I work with company leadership, the first order of action is to identify “critical areas” within an operation where infection can begin and possibly spread. Once leadership agrees that all areas have been addressed, training and information are shared with managers and their staff.
Next, if you want to reduce the speed of bacterial infection and pathogens, you must instill in employees a desire to take good hygiene practices learned at work and apply them at home as well.
Finally, find a way to speak to your employees in a way that helps them understand that good hygiene helps everyone thrive.
Get a Third Party to Audit You
When you have been doing things the same way for so long, it can be difficult to recognize areas that could benefit from change.
A food or ice cream manufacturing facility and fitness chain may have a different product line, but employees are the common denominator so focus and awareness in occupational safety is the key to a sustainable business operation.
My message is this: look differently at your operation and implement processes in order to be more resilient and less rigid. Be ready for an ever-changing economic and commerce environment.
Having owners, managers, and employees who are well-trained and aware of what good occupational safety looks like in their daily operation will be key to surviving adverse conditions.
Executing a responsible policy in employee hygiene safety that includes awareness in pathogen behavior is now as vital and important as launching a new product line.
Health safety practices can no longer only be important and necessary in the food and medical industry alone, it is important to be practiced by everyone and every business.
- Ethics In Using Madagascar Vanilla - November 21, 2023
- Money To Start Your Business - July 9, 2023
- Top 25 Common Myths About Ice Cream Co-Pack Manufacturers - April 22, 2023