Should we wear masks in our food production facility?

On April 4th, 2020, the FDA released guidelines for staff wearing cloth masks to work. The release was part of a Question & Answer session where the FDA provided guidance for many COVID-19 related concerns about social distancing within the factory.

As an essential service, food production manufacturers are required to stay open. Although staff keep their jobs, the downside is they are subjected daily to the risk of catching the virus from another employee and then spreading it to their family and beyond.

The FDA is basically saying that face covering is the choice of staff. Many organizations have gone a step further and made cloth or disposable masks available or mandatory for staff at the facility. According to the Mayo Clinic, cloth masks can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. The main advantage of cloth masks is that they prevent unaffected from touching their face. However, another benefit is that they can help prevent people that are sick and don't know it from transmitting the virus.

Should employees in retail food and food production settings wear face coverings to prevent exposure to COVID-19? (Posted April 4, 2020)

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

On April 3, the CDC released an updated recommendation regarding the use of cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19. CDC recommends the use of simple cloth face coverings as a voluntary public health measure in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).

For workers on farms, and in food production, processing, and retail settings who do not typically wear masks as part of their jobs, consider the following if you choose to use a cloth face covering to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• Maintain face coverings in accordance with parameters in FDA’s Model Food Code sections 4-801.11 Clean Linens and 4.802.11 Specifications.
• Launder reusable face coverings before each daily use.
• CDC also has additional information on the use of face coverings, including washing instructions and information on how to make homemade face covers.

NOTE: The cloth face coverings recommended by CDC are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

How do Manufacturers adopt safe distancing practices within the walls of the factory?

We are all hoping that life will return to normal soon, but the reality is that our definition of “normal” will probably shift a bit as the result of this pandemic. Social distancing, in some form or another, might become a sensible precaution moving forward.

In light of this, many of our customers have adapted quickly to the “new world” in which we live by using our technology to quickly segregate their lines and employees.

Our customers use our software to:

• Some provide each staff member with their own tablet and other customers have devices strategically placed at line and other work areas.
• Devices are easy to wipe down, not possible to wipe paper.

• One advantage of collaborating through software is that you don’t have to be close to the other person. Supervisors and Managers can stay in the office and visit the factory floor less often (or even work from home).
• Also, collaboration can happen in real-time and anywhere in the facility. This allows staff to request guidance while on the line, instead of having to walk across the facility to find a manager.
• Features like messaging, workflow management and alerts ensure everyone is on the same page

• Staff can access shared dashboards that feature KPIs and current action items relating to them.
• Taking it a step further, supervisors can have a “Zoom” conference call with staff to create a virtual “shift huddle” to connect and ensure alignment before the shift commences.

Perhaps it's time to think about a digital transformation for your facility?

Contact us to chat about a solution for your site or book a demo...

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