OSHA Alert for Restaurant, Food and Beverage Businesses Providing Curbside Pickup and Takeout
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued an alert with safety tips for restaurant, ad food and beverage businesses to protect their workers from coronavirus exposure while they provide curbside pickup or takeout.
Restaurants and food businesses are working to keep up revenue during this pandemic, but that comes at a price when employees and customers come into close contact with one another. OSHA recently released some topics for restaurant, food and beverage businesses providing curbside pickup and takeout.
OSHA recommends these businesses implement the following:
- Reserve parking spaces near the front door for curbside pickup only;
- Avoid direct hand-off, when possible;
- Display a door or sidewalk sign with the services available (e.g., take-out, curbside), instructions for pickup, and hours of operation;
- Practice sensible social distancing by maintaining 6 feet between co-workers and customers. Mark 6-foot distances with floor tape in pickup lines, encourage customers to pay ahead of time by phone or online, temporarily move workstations to create more distance and install plexiglass partitions, if feasible.
- Allow workers to wear masks over their nose and mouth to prevent them from spreading the virus
- Provide a place to wash hands and alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.
The new alert is available for download in English and Spanish.
Visit OSHA’s Publications webpage for other useful workplace safety information. Also, consult OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, a document aimed at helping workers and employers learn about ways to protect themselves and their workplaces during the ongoing pandemic.