AIB International: What to Do if an Employee Is Tested Positive for COVID-19
AIB International shared practical guides in case of detecting coronavirus infections among employees in a bakery plant.
Rod Martell, food safety professional at AIB International, reviewed several practical scenarios during the webinar “Food Safety and COVID-19: What Businesses Need to Know”. In case an employee in a facility tests positive for COVID-19, the first step is to send them home and have them call the doctor. Then, their doctor will determine the next steps per established best practices and support services specific to the local community, the specialist underlined.
From there, communication with the employees and sanitation in the facility are necessary. The specialist recommends the following actions should be considered:
- Coordinate with HR
Coordinate with HR to proactively communicate with employees about what is being done. For more guidance on steps to take with employee communication, he recommends referring to the FDA FAQ website. They will then need to understand what cleaning procedures will take place. “Share what you are doing to ensure worker health and safety, including cleaning best practices and appropriate PPE use,” he said.
- Clean & Disinfect
The affected employees’ work station has to be cleaned, as well as common areas, high touch areas, and all other areas they may have been in contact with. AIB International can virtually assign a sanitarian or GMP expert to support the facility during this time. They also offer expert-led training on GMPs and sanitation to meet the needs.
- Communicate to Employees
The facility has to communicate with employees and service providers about everything that has been done to ensure their health and safety and why it will keep them safe. Their efforts here will benefit employee morale, the expert added.