Red Box Consultancy Services would like to offer our support at this time and have compiled a free guidance document to ensure you cover all premise and staff health and safety considerations when reopening your site. The document is designed to support our reopening service packages which will include comprehensive onsite risk assessments, policy writing, training, service audits and reopening checks around all areas of safety. We appreciate that you may simply be looking for an independent audit of your own policies in practice as followed by staff and contractors on your premises. Whatever your requirements, Red Box will look to support with a bespoke solution.

Personal Protective Equipment  

Sneeze screens and other physical barriers 

Firstly, decide if screens are suitable. 

Think about the following: 

• What are the benefits of a screen/barrier in your particular circumstance?
• Every layout and operation is different and exposure to risk is a site-specific assessment.  
• Many service areas have a natural physical barrier such as hot hold cabinets with built in sneeze screens.  
• Some till or sale areas and self-service or dining hall service areas would not practically allow for such barriers and therefore each specific arrangement should be assessed. 

Face Masks 

Check the most up to date guidance here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe 

Red Box believe it is important to consider the effectiveness of masks against preventing spread of infection of Covid-19 in a Catering or Cleaning environment. Not all masks are the same. Most masks will not fully prevent infection and currently availability of mask supply should be prioritised for social care, medical and health profession staff. 

On this basis Red Box believe face mask are not required. However, we would advise that this is reviewed on a daily/weekly basis and procedures altered as per the government guidelines. 

There may be occasions where this is appropriate or necessary due to the layout or logistics of the operation or, for example, where a member of staff classed as “at high risk” wishes to return to work and a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been carried out. 

Site specific operations will be risk assessed and the use of face masks will be assessed on a case by case basis.  

Other 

PPE is not normally required for general cleaning purposes unless COSHH risk assessments for chemicals require it and COSHH procedures should still be followed for the safety of the operative. 

Face masks provided as part of the site COSHH PPE kit for using cleaning chemicals must NOT be taken and used as a general protective measure against Covid-19. These masks are provided for specific chemical use purposes and may not be suitable for Covid-19. 

Staff/Food/Cleaning operatives should also consider: 

• Hands should be washed with soap and water regularly and thoroughly and all staff should avoid touching their face and mouth at all times.  
• Where staff use rubber gloves these must be cleaned regularly, by washing them thoroughly in soap and water whilst still wearing them. 
• Staff members should use one set of oven gloves, cloths and tea towels, which should be sent with the dirty laundry when the staff member has ended their shift. 
• Uniform should be cleaned at least daily by sending it to the dirty laundry. 
• Uniform must not be worn when travelling to and from work. 
• Any approved religious clothing must be clean and replaced regularly. 
• Disposable gloves are not a substitute for regular and thorough hand washing. 
• Disposable gloves should be used for removing potentially contaminated items left behind by customers or staff, such as face masks. 
• Where food safety and temperature permit, fly screened windows should be opened to allow for good ventilation. 
• PPE should be disposable wherever possible and should not be shared with staff unless it can be thoroughly washed or disinfected after each use.