OSHA offers tips for restaurant and food services providing curbside pickup and takeout

Posted May 5, 2020

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert with safety tips for restaurants and other food and beverage businesses to protect their workers from coronavirus exposure while they provide curbside pickup and takeout service.

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 alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60 percent alcohol and a place to wash hands.
• Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.

The alert is the latest effort by OSHA to educate and protect workers and employers during the coronavirus pandemic.

This article was written by Ed Zalewski of J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.