Washington Guidelines for Grocery Stores

Title Page

Ideas for an Effective Social Distancing Plan

Limit the number of customers entering the store to facilitate social distancing at store entrances, throughout store and at check-out lines.
Require all workers to stay at least six feet away from customers and coworkers.
Temporarily mark six-foot increments (using adhesive colored tape, chalk, etc.) on the ground or floor to ensure social distancing.
Post large print attention-grabbing signs readable from a far distance (or use portable, electronic reader boards) that inform customers of social distancing practices.
Designate workers to monitor and facilitate distancing at check-out lines.
Discontinue self-serve foods, free sample stands and product demonstrations.

Install hand-sanitizing dispensers at store entrances and at key locations inside for customers.
Ensure all workers know why and how to effectively wash hands for at least twenty seconds.
Require workers to wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, such as when they arrive at work, leave their workstations for breaks, eat, use tobacco, and after handling money.
Ensure gloves are used for cart retrievers, handling money, common use of the same cash register or keypad by different cashiers, food safety and cleaning.
Set up a schedule to keep these supplies well stocked and trash emptied.

Monitor employees for signs of illness and require sick workers to stay home.
Ensure employees know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 caused by coronavirus exposure.

Instruct all workers on social distancing, handwashing, and other store-wide safety procedures related to coronavirus.
Teach workers the importance of hand washing before eating, drinking, or using tobacco.
Advise on respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes and not touching eyes, noses, and mouths with unwashed hands or gloves.
Prohibit sharing utensils, phones, work tools, and other workplace items that are not sanitized.
Communicate important safety messages/ updates daily with methods such as posters, reader boards, etc.

Consider closing self-check stands if not all surfaces can be sanitized between customers and if it is not possible to ensure at least six feet between users.
Consider installing “sneeze shields” at check stands, and ask customers to stand behind them, or relocate pay station key pads further away from worker.
When supplies are available, provide disposable wipes/hand sanitizer at check-out stands for employees and customers (e.g. at key pads, registers, bagging area).

Schedule as much stocking and deep cleaning as possible during closing hours. If a 24-hour store, stock during the slowest period of the night.
Appoint a designated sanitation worker(s) at all times to continuously clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces on a significantly increased schedule. Use the environmental cleaning guidelines set by the CDC.
When disinfecting for coronavirus, the EPA recommends using the longest recommended contact time and/or most concentrated solution per the label.
Be sure to follow the label directions for FOOD CONTACT SURFACES when using the chemical near or on utensils and food contact surfaces.
Use protective gloves and eye/face protection (e.g. face shields and/or goggles) when mixing, spraying, and wiping with liquid cleaning products, like diluted bleach.

Provide ways for workers to express any concerns and ideas to improve safety.
Alert store managers or shift supervisors of strategies on handling customers or workers who are not following social distancing practices or demonstrate signs of illness during the visit. For example, it might be helpful to move a coughing customer out of line to a separate checkout station distant from others.
Update store Accident Prevention Program (APP) to include awareness and prevention measures for diseases and viruses.