Tag: Face Masks

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BlinkGlobal

Sneeze Guards, Temperature Controls, and Waste Management – Food Safety Tips to Enhance Salad and Hot Food Bars

Salad and hot food bars are popular for one great reason – they prevent food from contamination and promote fresh and healthy foods that people like to eat. In buffets, people get the opportunity to choose their favorites from many options at a bar making it an exciting dining experience for them and also creating convenience for your operations. However, restaurant owners and staff must stay vigilant and must never lose sight of food safety. There is nothing more exciting than a fresh and beautiful food bar. They provide an engaging experience and generate good revenue for restaurant owners. In the time of COVID-19, restaurant owners must go the extra mile to ensure that food is safe from contamination and customers are safe from any infections. Here are five safety tips that restaurants can consider.

Temperature Monitoring:

Food is always prone to contamination. However, some foods as compared to others are more susceptible to host pathogens and become a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. TCS (temperature control for safety) foods that include milk, eggs and other dairy products require special attention and you must always keep a temperature check in salad bars and other self-service areas to maintain the following standards:
  •         41˚F or below for cold food
  •         135˚F or above for hot foods
 

Handle Food with Care:

Restaurants must take appropriate measures and follow best practices on food procurement. It must be noted that there are several food items that cannot be rewashed as doing so introduces food safety risks and also reduces the shelf life. Dispose of all food items that might have been cross-contaminated or weren’t properly checked for temperatures. Restaurants must devise a waste management plan to handle leftovers, typically in cooked products.

Minimize Cross-Contamination

Here are some tips to minimize cross-contamination.
  •         Never mix new and existing food
  •         Ensure individual serving tools for each item
  •         Communicate to customers to always use serving utensils
 

Install Sneeze Guards:

Sneeze guards are not something new and have been around us for decades. Sneeze guards were invented by Restaurateur and Inventor Johnny Garneau. The purpose of these protective barriers is to keep food safe and contaminant free. The sneeze guards have been endorsed for their effectiveness in creating a healthy restaurant experience and the FDA established the mandatory presence of food guards in all 50 states. Please click here to order Sneeze Guards or call us at 877-433-4466
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Sneeze Guards and Social Distancing: Sporting Leagues Take New Measures for Fans to Return to Stands

The lockdown restrictions are now beginning to be completely lifted and more and more industries are preparing to resume their business operations as we are now in the third and final phase of the reopening plan. There is no debate in saying that sports leagues were amongst the hardest hit businesses by COVID-19. As the virus began to spread, all games were called off and the seasons were also postponed. As we are slowly moving towards reopening, we might be able to watch our favorite games from the stands.  

With Safety Measures Still in Practice:

Health officials are warning to not get carried away as the threat has not been completely eliminated. The government and health agencies have rolled out SOPs for businesses to ensure the safety of customers and employees and non-compliance can result in legal repercussions. Face masks are mandatory for everyone, as businesses must comply with social distancing guidelines. Sneeze guards can be seen everywhere as they are effective in curbing person-to-person virus transmission. Waiters and restaurant staff are putting on protective see-through face shields and visors as PPE is being provided to essential workers.  

Watching Games from the Stands:

Fans are terribly missing the stadium experience matches without fan attendance also appear boring on the screen. League managements understand the blow on the fan experience and are looking for ways to resume a safe return to stands. However, the new stands might appear different from what we are used to. Managements will take several steps to ensure safety as massive gatherings can become a hub of COVID spread. Fans might return in a limited capacity before treatments and preventions for the coronavirus are created. The team management might also request fans to sign up for arrival time at a specific parking spot and then receive a predetermined path to walk to their gate. Upon passing through security checks, a guide or mascot will lead fans to their seats, separated from other guests. Team management will also place protective barriers and sneeze guards at their concession stands and bars. In order to enhance the experience fans might also be requested to submit advance information to understand whom they can sit near. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus via contaminated surfaces, AI solutions might be used that will allow fans to verbally request needs, rather than moving around and touching items. For now, fans will have to wait until proper SOPs are rolled out and health agencies give a go-ahead to team management. But we hope that fans will soon go back to stands without the risk of the virus. Please click here to order Sneeze Guards or call us at 877-433-4466
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BlinkGlobal

Sneeze guards, face masks and no cafeteria lunches: How Schools Plan to Reopen

COVID-19 has certainly impacted the entire world’s education system. As soon as the lockdown was imposed and children were asked to stay home, schools rapidly changed the way they did their work. Some schools tried old-fashioned correspondence using written mail as a medium of interaction while other more advanced schools tried to recreate the “classroom environment” by using digital channels such as Zoom. Online tutoring and practice programs also became popular and there is no debate in saying that teachers responded heroically and did everything in their capacity to help the students and keep the learning system alive. However, one thing that we have learned from the pandemic is that eLearning is not as efficient and effective as “in-person” learning. Online instructors tend to focus on theory rather than practice and students, especially those under 16, are losing the habits that schools teach them. Students are missing their classmates, they are missing the basketball courts and they are missing everything about school. State governments and local county governments are closely monitoring the situation and are working with health agencies to come to a solution that ensures a safe return to schools. This includes installing sneeze guards in public reception areas and making face coverings essential for students, teachers, and other staff. Cafeterias will remain closed and libraries will not open for a couple of months to come.

Here are some other steps recommended by

health agencies for the safe reopening of schools

  •  Schools and other educational institutions must consider hiring doctors and additional nurses or certified health personnel to ensure immediate health support to students and lead quarantine protocol activities. Schools must provide training to teachers, students, and staff on how to practice health guidelines.
  • Students or staff members who are more vulnerable and have underlying health conditions must be supported and schools should consider providing them alternative options such as teleworking. Schools should also consider exploring extracurricular activities that engage students but do not put them at risk.
  • Ensure healthy hygienic practices by providing masks and hand sanitizers. Schools should increase handwashing stations and also keep an ample quantity of alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.
  • Facemasks remain the most effective way to ensure personal protection. Individuals in schools must be mandated to wear face coverings both when they are indoors and outdoors. 6ft distance cannot be continuously maintained, so facemasks help in preventing infections.
It will be interesting to see how schools will cope up with the situation. Online classes will likely continue for a couple of more months but hopefully, we will eventually move back to traditional schooling. Please click here to order Sneeze Guards or call us at 877-433-4466
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Sneeze Guards, Face Shields, Masks, and Gloves: How Restaurants Are Cautiously Moving Towards the Reopening

After weeks and months of heavy restrictions, almost all states have allowed restaurants to resume their dine-in operations. However, health officials are still concerned about the matter as the casual reopening of restaurants can cause case numbers to spike up. This means that we still need to be careful and practice all guidelines provided by health care agencies.

Business Activities Resume

Business activities are resuming in the country. In other words, a significant restart to life has kicked in. Restaurants, shopping malls, salons, and many other businesses have started to reopen for customers. Factory workers have also been called for duty and corporate offices have also been allowed to reopen.

Safety Measures Still in Practice

The government has rolled out SOPs for businesses to ensure the safety of customers and employees and non-compliance can result in legal repercussions. Facemasks are mandatory for everyone, as businesses must comply with social distancing guidelines. Sneeze guards can be seen everywhere as they are effective in curbing person-to-person virus transmission. Waiters and restaurant staff are putting on protective see-through face shields and visors whereas PPE is being provided to essential workers. 

Guidelines for Sit-Down and Dine-in Restaurants

Here are some of the important guidelines for restaurants reopening
  • Salad bars and buffets must have sneeze guards
  • Bar areas inside restaurants are to remain closed
  • Cutlery, napkins, and cups must be thoroughly cleaned
  • Sterilize tables, chairs, and all frequently touched surfaces
  • Discard reusable paper menus or have disposable menus or post the menus online so that diners can view them on their phones
  • Make hand sanitizer readily available to guests

Restaurants going an extra mile to ensure Safety

Some of the restaurants are duly embracing the responsibility and have taken additional measures to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Here are some of the additional steps.

Social Distancing Markings

Social distancing markings can now be seen everywhere. As per health officials, social distancing is the most effective way to contain the spread of the virus. Restaurants are redesigning their premises and reviewing their dine-in capacity to accommodate customers with ease and safety. Ground markings and digital-signage are being installed in the restaurants that will provide social distancing-guidance at waiting areas, reception, dining halls, and other common areas.

Drive-Thru Shield Sneeze Guard

The restaurant staff and operators on the drive-thru delivery counters are extremely vulnerable to exposure as they get in close proximity to hundreds of people on a daily basis. The best way to protect your staff is by installing a drive-thru sneeze guard. These transparent plastic sheets act as protective barriers and minimize the flow of respiratory droplets between customers and employees. A good thing about these barrier shields is that it discourages staff to lean down and come in physical contact with customers.

Protective Gear and Plexiglass Acrylic Sneeze Guards by Blink Brands

Blink Signs is manufacturing and supplying Protective Gear, Barrier Shields, and Plexiglass Acrylic Sneeze Guards all around the USA and Canada. Protect your employees and customers with our high-quality protective gear that meets all the standards set by health agencies. Please click here to order Sneeze Guards or call us at 877-433-4466