Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023 - 43

TABLE 1. Definitions of physical distancing ( " social distancing " in the survey instrument),
biosafety, and surveillance mitigation strategies provided to study participants
in the needs assessment survey
Intervention type, mitigation strategy Definition of mitigation strategy
Physical distancing
Installed physical barriers
Staggered break times
Staggered arrival and departure times
(staggered shifts)
Downsizing operation
Clear plastic partitions preventing employees from getting too close and preventing
particles or droplets exhaled by one person from entering the breathing zone of another
Groups of employees have different break times
Groups of employees have a set no. of hours to work during the day, but they have different
start and finish times
Reduction of a facility's production capacity accompanied by a reduction in the no. of
employees
Adjusted sick day policy
Spacing workers >6 ft (1.8 m) during
production
Cohorting employees
Biosafety
Enhanced hand washing
Alcohol-based hand rubs
Face mask, face shields, and/or goggles
Increased air ventilation rates
Air cleaning and/or filtering
Surveillance
Temperature screening and quarantine
Test for infection and isolation
Contact tracing and quarantine
Return to work postrecovery policy
Employee benefits include a paid sick leave granted when an employee is unable to
work because the employee is quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19, because of a
bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine or isolation, or to care for
a child (<18 years of age) whose school or childcare provider is closed or unavailable for
reasons related to COVID-19 (definition adapted from U.S. Dept. of Labor " Families First
Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights " )
Keeping a space at least 6 ft between employees
Establishing groups of employees based on their risk of infection in the company, where
each cohort remains as separated from the other cohorts as possible
Implementation of a set of instructions for employees about when and how to wash hands
that goes above and beyond instructions that were in place pre-COVID-19
Implementation of a set of instructions for employees about when and how to use hand
rubs
Implementation of a set of instructions about how and when to use face masks, face
shields, and goggles. Face masks: often referred to as surgical masks or procedure masks,
cover the nose and mouth, secured under the chin, fit snugly against the side of the face,
do not have gaps. Face shields: secondary protectors intended to protect the entire face
against exposure. Goggles: shield the eyes against hazards.
Increase in the rate at which external air (fresh air) flows into the building
Destroying or removing hazards such as virus particles from the air
Screen for employees with a body temp >99.5°F (37.5°C) (or other cutoff value), and
keep identified employees away from the workplace to determine whether they develop
COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for the disease
Test employees for COVID-19 (virus test); isolation: keep an employee who is sick with
COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19 without symptoms away from the workplace
Contact tracing: identify individuals who may have been exposed to a person with
COVID-19; quarantine: separate individuals who have had close contact with someone
with COVID-19 to determine whether they develop symptoms or test positive for the
disease
Strategy implemented for employees returning to work following a COVID-19 case based
on symptoms or doctor's recommendation
January/February Food Protection Trends
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Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023

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