COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Task Sheet

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This checklist is based upon guidance issued by UKHospitality Trade Association, the source of the check can be found here:

https://view.publitas.com/ukh/coronavirus-advice-for-hotels-and-the-hospitality-industry-25-02-2020/page/1

Advice to all staff

Staff must understand that they must not come to work if they have symptoms of coronavirus or live in a household where someone has coronavirus.

Be prepared

Taking preventive measures means assuming that everyone may have it and taking action accordingly. It is not a waste of time and is actually very cheap to implement the most effective measures, because these involve firstly washing your hands at critical times and second keeping dirty hands away from your face.
Increasing the frequency of disinfection of hand contact surfaces in public areas will help to reduce the risks

Hand Washing

Ask all staff to wash their hands when leaving home and then when arriving at work to wash their hands immediately upon arrival
Hand gel, if used needs to be anti-viral and the higher the alcohol content, generally the better it is (over 62% is recommended). Check the labels to ensure that they are effective

Advice for staff to take home

Advise everyone to wash their hands as soon as they get home from shopping or work, particularly if they have travelled on public transport.

Cleaning

Heightened disinfection needs to be undertaken to disinfect all frequently touched areas such as tables, chairs, counters tills, card machines etc.
Government guidance refers to using detergent and then 1000ppm available chlorine for disinfecting which kills the virus and can be made up from bleach. This is to be used on visibly clean surfaces.
In kitchens, continue to use your regular sanitising as usual, and at the end of the shift you may want to go over all hand touch surfaces one more time before closing

If staff develop symptoms when at work

It pays to have a plan in place for this eventuality.
If staff become ill with a fever and a new, continuous cough when at work they must be sent home and must follow Government ‘stay at home’ guidance
Using gloves and a disposable apron, clean and disinfect any touch points that may have been contaminated by the infected person as soon as possible. Wash your hands after removing PPE.

Kitchen Staff

As much as possible, we all need to be 2m away from each other as we don’t know who may be infected and not showing symptoms yet. This is very hard and will require planning and rearranging.
As every business is different, work out a plan that fits yours. Document any new rules and have a staff briefing on what everyone needs to do. For example, you could say only one person at a time is allowed in the chilled stores For example, you could say only one person at a time is allowed in the chilled stores or dry stores, or the changing rooms / w.c. areas.
• In small kitchens this may be very difficult but try your best to rearrange things to protect everyone.
Make sure that the 2m rule applies at lunch or smoking / vaping breaks

Food Service

Make a plan on what could be done to make food service safer for staff and customers through social distancing measures. Manage expectations. Make the rules, document them and then make sure everyone knows what the new rules are.
Ask for an email to go out to staff and put signs up.
Customers must not sit less than 2m away from each other and must keep at least 2m between them in the queue.
Advise customers not to enter if they have symptoms of coronavirus
• If possible, there should be hand sanitiser at the entrance to the premises with a sign asking people to use it before entering.
• At the very least there should be a sign asking all guests to wash their hands before entering.
• If possible, provide pop-up hand washing stations at the entrance, but ensure that there is social distancing during use, and that there is no risk of contamination from the stations themselves (e.g. taps).
The organisation could stagger timings so that groups of staff have slots to come for their meals to reduce bunching up.
People will need to be told to keep 2m apart in queues – it is a good idea to put tape on the floor to mark out the distance.
Pre-orders such as packed lunches could be made and collected from a separate counter with 2m marking on the floor to ensure social distancing.
Customers may need to be asked to step back from counters so that staff can serve them safely if the counter is less than 2m wide.
Plates should be picked up only by hospitality staff, rather than customers handing the plates to the staff to fill.
When the food is plated, the plate can be placed on the customer’s tray and, then the member of staff moves back, and the customer picks it up.
Where staff come into contact with items used by customers, they need to ensure that they wash their hands before moving on to another task.
At this time, individually wrapped condiments and sauces could be offered on request and put with the plated food on the customer’s tray, otherwise they could be contaminated by other customers’ hands.
Consider whether operationally it is possible for cutlery to be placed on the customer’s tray with the food and condiments rather than customers helping themselves.
Space out tables in the canteen and allow only one person per table, or if very large tables, operate the 2m distancing rule.
If payment is contactless that is easier and safer. For customers who cannot use a bank card, try to think of another way of charging that doesn’t involve cash (pre-paid bank card, vouchers for example)
If staff are serving customers or taking payments, they need to be protected, and whilst at the moment there is no advice to wear masks, they need to keep 2m away
The most important thing is to remember the routes of transmission, and to work out what actions are best in your business.

Disinfection times in the office

Make sure you keep 2m apart in the office (they are often crowded spaces so you may need to allow only one person at a time in there).
In the catering or hotel office, many people could be sharing the phone, keyboard, mouse, and the desk.
Disinfect these before you sit down using an antimicrobial wipe that has anti-viral properties – look on the label (leave these on the desk). As coronavirus is new, tests have not been done on this yet, but the next best thing is to use those products that claim to kill flu and cold viruses.

Food Service

Allergens

Make sure you have information on allergens for every food produced in-house (it will be on the pack for pre-packed food). You should identify allergens in each dish using the matrix from the FSA unless you have your own system in place. https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/allergen-chart.pdf
When customers phone to place an order, you should ask them if they or any of their party have any allergies or intolerances.
Ensure allergens are communicated to kitchen teams to ensure the specific allergenic ingredient is avoided as well as ensuring food is prepared safely for them by avoiding cross contact.
Ensure you clearly label the meal prepared for someone with an allergy, identifying their individual food items to avoid mistakes on delivery and unpacking by the customer.
During delivery, food prepared for allergic customers should be stored separately to avoid any cross contact.
If you cannot put in place safe procedures for making meals free of a particular allergen, you MUST NOT offer or serve allergy-free food to customers until you are confident you can make dishes safely.

Delivery Boxes and Bags

Make sure that any food delivery boxes and bags are fit for purpose.
Consideration should be given to their ability to be kept clean and be disinfected.
You should use the two stage clean to disinfect the container internally and externally to ensure effective disinfection at the start of the day before being used for carrying food and after deliveries, as well as regularly throughout the day.
If boxes and bags need to keep food hot or cold, then choose appropriate insulated carriers.
Hot food should arrive to the customers hot at 63°C or above and cold food arrive cold at 8°C or colder.
Keep distances short and limited to within 30 minutes radius.
You should carry out periodic checks to ensure the food is arriving adequately hot or cold and record this in your due diligence records.
If ice packs are used, these should be cleaned and sanitised as per the insulated box or bag in between every use.

Drivers and Riders

Drivers and riders must have insurance for business use.
Vehicles must be clean, comply with MOT, tax etc.
There must be no smoking permitted in any delivery vehicle as these are considered workplaces.
Working time and length of time driving should also be considered.
A thorough risk assessment will ensure you comply with the law but if in doubt check with your legal advisors.
Remember that delivery drivers are food handlers and therefore must be given basic induction on safe food handling, personal hygiene and reporting of any infections or illness. They must know that they must not work if they have any symptoms of coronavirus or any other infection.
Look out for signs and symptoms of coronavirus of all delivery drivers daily and record in your due diligence records.
Drivers and or Riders must hand wash or sanitise before and after collection every time as they could cross contaminate between the restaurant and the customer.
The driver must be provided with alcohol hand sanitiser at 62% + alcohol.
Age Verification (if including alcohol), Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Allergens.
All training should be recorded on a training record.
When drivers or riders pick up food, they must maintain social distancing.

Delivery

Delivery controls in place
Details on allergens should be available at point of ordering as discussed above (I would ask proactively on the phone as you may be dealing with people who are not used to ordering food like this)
If you have made food for an allergic consumer then you need to identify that food clearly on the packaging when delivered.
If you are re-selling pre-packed food, then make sure it is properly labelled with ingredients and allergens in accordance with the Food Information Regulations. For ingredients and allergens in accordance with the Food Information Regulations. For example, it needs to be in English!
Hot food and ready-to-eat deliveries need to be consumed immediately they are accepted by the customer. You need to make it clear that the responsibility for the food after delivery lies with the customer.
Do not use any crockery that needs to be returned. Check that any packaging that will be in direct contact with food is suitable. You can check if it’s food safe by looking for a symbol on it that looks like a wine glass and a fork. You can also check if it is marked ‘for food contact’. It is not eco-friendly, but we need to use disposables.
You need to have a no returns policy for food.

Delivering to customers

Agree a time for dropping off and where and how you will place the food.
Ask the customer to have a table / box or tray outside the door for you to put the food in or on
If delivering beer from your keg, use a container or jug and ask the customer to put their pint glass or jug on the tray and pour the beer into their vessel without touching it. Do not use pub glasses.
Wash your hands before setting off. Use hand sanitiser before getting the food delivery out of the bag.
Ring the bell and stay 2m away till the food is picked up.
Avoid taking cash, ask for BACS payments if you don’t have an online credit card facility.
For the elderly, if they can’t pay online then ask them to put the exact or close to exact money in a named and addressed envelope and say you will give them their change next time or pop it through the letter box later. Put the envelopes in a bag - you can deal with the money when you get back (maybe on a tray for this purpose that can be disinfected), put any change back in the envelopes and then wash your hands afterwards.
Assume that by ringing the bell or knocking on the door that your hands could be contaminated so ensure you wash hands immediately you return to your business or use a hand sanitising gel. Alternatively use a pad of tissue to press the bell and dispose of this safely (take a plastic bag for this purpose). If you get back in a vehicle, use hand sanitiser before you get in, so you don’t contaminate the steering wheel.
When you decide what works for you, write a procedure note – being prepared is a key to success, and making sure everyone has what they need (do a check list) to do key to success, and making sure everyone has what they need (do a check list) to do the deliveries safely is very important.

Collection

Make sure everyone knows your rules in advance – customers, staff and volunteers!
This is for everyone’s protection. If everyone knows in advance, it doesn’t sound so bossy or unfriendly.
Social distancing measures must apply – everyone must be 2m apart if in a queue. It may pay to put some tape down at 2m intervals if possible, and on your property.
Arrange with customers a slot to collect when they make the order to reduce the likelihood of close contact. Ask customers to wash their hands before arriving.
With freshly washed hands, make up the orders and put in labelled bags, keeping ambient, chilled and frozen food separate so you can store them safely until collected if there is likely to be a delay before the customer phoning.
Have a table at the door of the business where customers can pick up their order. Make whatever arrangement is best for you to make sure that orders are ready and can be put outside to avoid contact with the customer.
This is not the time for bags and boxes to be recycled!
If serving beer from your kegs, use a container or jug and ask the customer to put their pint glass / jug on the table and pour the beer into their vessel without touching it. Do not use pub glasses. You don’t want anything back. The less we share, the better.
Wherever possible take payment over the phone or by BACS. If you have to use a machine, contactless is great for small orders, but otherwise you will have to disinfect the machine between each customer and wash your hands between each customer, and put the machine on your table, step back and then ask the customer to leave the machine on the table and also step back.
If someone wants to pay cash, and you are not expecting a rush, then you could deal with the cash and give change, but you will need to make sure you wash your hands after and disinfect any surfaces you may have touched after handling the money. If it is likely to be busy, they will need to put the cash in a labelled (name and address) envelope and if not the exact amount, you will be able to give them the change at a later point when they come for the next order.

Traceability

You must ensure you keep records of who you have supplied food to as part of traceability requirements.

Hotels

Reception

• Manage expectations: to help with what could be a potentially embarrassing and inhospitable situation, it would pay to have a notice on the door explaining that social distancing rules and additional hygiene measures are in place to protect guests and inhospitable situation, it would pay to have a notice on the door explaining that social distancing rules and additional hygiene measures are in place to protect guests and staff. Many hotel chains are emailing all guests prior to arrival to explain the extra measures that are being taken to offer reassurance.
If you have a doorman / woman, they could let guests know that they need to stand 2m apart if there is a queue for the desk.
Have sanitiser for guests to use on the desk, but at least 2m away from the staff.
Make sure all reception staff have access to sanitiser behind the desk so that they can use this between serving guests
Reception desks should be organised so that staff can be 2m away from guests as much as possible.
When guests sign documents and use the chip and pin machine, reception staff should step back to keep their distance. Any pens or machines that are used should be disinfected before the next guests, and staff should sanitise their hands.
If staff help guests with luggage, they should keep 2m apart from guests whilst collecting luggage and either take it to the room before the guest arrives there or knock on the door, step back 2 paces and leave the luggage at the door. After handling luggage, staff should wash their hands or use a hand gel afterwards.

Room Service

Manage expectations - ensure guests know that staff will have to operate social distancing and that room service trays will not be brought into the room. Explain what your process will be.
Staff must wash their hands before picking up the room service tray to take to the guests.
If you can, use butlers’ trays which can be left off the floor next to the door, or think of other ways to protect the order, for example a small light table, or a folding luggage rack both of which have been disinfected first.
Staff should knock on the door and leave the tray outside the door and step away 2m. The guest can then pick the tray up, and the staff can remove the tray stand or table etc. The member of staff should wash their hands afterwards.
Avoid any paperwork. If the guest wants to tip, then this should be done on the bill. Handling cash is a risk.
The guest should leave the tray and its crockery and contents outside the room on the floor if necessary when finished. the floor if necessary when finished.
When trays are picked up, they must be taken to the relevant area and decontaminated – crockery and cutlery to go in the dishwasher, and the tray to be sanitised. Any linen must be placed directly in a laundry bag and not left lying around.Staff must wash their hands immediately after handling the trays.
If staff use disposable gloves, they must take them off after handling the trays, dispose of the gloves safely and then wash their hands.

Housekeeping

Staff need to wash their hands before starting work in each room, even if then using disposable gloves. Use paper towels to dry hands.
Hand contact surfaces should be sanitised using a chemical that is effective against respiratory viruses as well as bacteria. Make a check list of all the touch points which could include the following: o Bedside tables o Remote control o Taps o Flush handles o Door handles – inside and out o Hair dryer handles o Iron and ironing board, trouser press o Safe buttons o Wardrobe doors o Mini bar handle o Kettle handle
Glasses and crockery should be removed and washed in a dishwasher not the room sink.
Linen and bedding should be bagged before leaving the bedroom to reduce any risk of transmission in the corridor
It is critical that staff protect themselves by hand washing immediately after cleaning each room or use a sanitizing hand gel.
Any cloths must be disposed of after cleaning each room, along with any disposable PPE used such as gloves and aprons

Disinfection

Check with your disinfectant or sanitiser supplier that your products are effective against the coronavirus.
Bleach is a very effective disinfectant when used on visibly clean surfaces.
The recommended dilution if using bleach or a bleach-based sanitiser is 1000ppm available chlorine.
How you achieve the correct dilution will depend on the strength of the bleach you start with.
Contact the manufacturer now for instructions on how to achieve this concentration, don’t wait till you need to know. Only dilute with cold water and never mix chemicals.
Do not use a higher concentration than you need to because it could damage surfaces.
If preparing a bleach solution, then label any spray bottles clearly and replace the solution daily.
Use disposable cloths, or paper rolls and disposable mop heads.
Staff need to wear disposable gloves and aprons and take care not to splash the solution around

Public Areas

Clean and disinfect public areas regularly

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COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Task Sheet

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Advice to all staff

Be prepared

Hand Washing

Advice for staff to take home

Cleaning

If staff develop symptoms when at work

Kitchen Staff

Food Service

Disinfection times in the office

Allergens

Delivery Boxes and Bags

Drivers and Riders

Delivery

Delivering to customers

Collection

Traceability

Reception

Room Service

Housekeeping

Disinfection

Public Areas

Sign-Off

Related checklists

COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Task Sheet

Free COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Task Sheet Checklist

Go digital today!

Convert your paper checklists into digital forms

Advice to all staff

Be prepared

Hand Washing

Advice for staff to take home

Cleaning

If staff develop symptoms when at work

Kitchen Staff

Food Service

Disinfection times in the office

Allergens

Delivery Boxes and Bags

Drivers and Riders

Delivery

Delivering to customers

Collection

Traceability

Reception

Room Service

Housekeeping

Disinfection

Public Areas

Sign-Off

Related checklists