We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, but restaurants are slowly reopening across the nation. Are you and your staff trained to help prevent the spread of coronavirus?
It’s happening people — we’re entering the next phase of life amid COVID-19. States across the nation are easing up on stay at home orders, so restaurants and other businesses are welcoming guests back in varying capacity. Unfortunately, we’re still in the heat of a pandemic. The World Health Organization reported Thursday, June 18th marked a record high for newly reported cases worldwide. Now more than ever, it’s important that restaurants take the proper precautions to keep staff and guests as safe as possible. Taking steps in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and to (fingers crossed) avoid another shutdown is paramount.
Luckily, there are companies like eFoodHandlers that have put together a comprehensive COVID-19 training that’s quick, cheap and most importantly, detail-rich with realistic safety procedures you can implement today.
“We developed the program in conjunction with CDC recommendations and we partnered with Safe and Sound consulting out of California to build it.” Melissa Smith of eFoodHandlers states, “Our goal is to help restaurants train their staff on the do’s and don’ts of reopening.” And who better to train your staff on food safety during a pandemic than a reputable ANSI-accredited food safety training group? eFoodHandlers COVID-19 training is extremely valuable as it guides restaurant owners and workers on what we know of the virus, how it spreads and how to safely run a restaurant during COVID times — including ways to build back consumer trust.
One struggle restaurants will face as customers come back, is that they will be wary and attentive to social distancing requirements moving forward. “It’s really important for the restaurant industry to be doing everything they can to show that they’re concerned, and so we have tidbits and recommendations to help bring back consumer trust.” Melissa described things like including a card in takeout orders that bullet points steps your business has taken to ensure your staff and customers stay safe. The training also demonstrates how you can set up your restaurant to build consumer trust by keeping tables at a proper distance, leaving doors and windows open to encourage fresh air and setting out signs reminding customers to adhere to social distancing.
I recently took the eFoodHandlers COVID-19 training myself and I was pleasantly surprised at the detail provided to help not just the consumers stay safe, but restaurant workers themselves. It’s going to be in each of our hands to ensure our own safety, as consumers won’t be held as accountable for their own hygienic practices as restaurant workers. This training provides thorough recommendations that you can implement if you are concerned about catching the virus while working in the restaurant industry. Some examples include how to give yourself a health assessment before going to work, to bring work clothes that you can change in to and out of before and after your shift, and how to properly care for your face mask.
The eFoodHandlers COVID-19 training is only $5 per course and can be purchased individually, or as a package if a restaurant owner wants to offer this to their entire staff. After completion, all trainees receive a certificate for completing the COVID-19 food safety training. The course has eight chapters and is advertised to take about 90 minutes to complete, although Melissa said that most people complete the course in around an hour. The online training is easy to use, and you can stop and save your progress, allowing you to take the course at your own pace. They also implemented some interactive parts so it’s not all lecture and videos.
As we move into this new stage of life during a pandemic, the restaurant industry will continue to change and require more extreme safety measures to keep everyone safe. It’s worth the investment to ensure you and your staff understand how the virus spreads, steps to keep yourself safe and how to work in a way that keeps your guests safe and builds their trust — and eFoodHandlers COVID-19 training provides all of that in one 90 minute course. If you’re interested in taking the course yourself or would like to purchase the course for your team, sign up here.