COVID-19 Safety Lawyer Guidelines for Food Business Operators in Miami

Are you a food service business owner or operator? If so, the Perazzo Law Firm Staff of Personal Injury Attorneys suggest reading the content presented to you below to make sure your business does not suffer a further economic damages from a COVID-19 lawsuit for negligence. 

If you own or operate a food service business during the coronavirus times, you are surely struggling to get back on track and ope your doors to customers as soon as possible. However, that will mean complying with the FDA and CDC's guidelines for safe business practiced for food service businesses in Miami. The Perazzo Law Firm will highlight the most important areas and steps for complying with coronavirus safety measures and helping your business avoid a personal injury lawsuit for negligence when preventing the spread of COVID-19 through your business activities in Miami cities and suburbs like, Hialeah, Orlando, Kendall, Doral, Coral Gables, and all Miami-Dade and Broward County.   

If you are a food business owner or operator looking to avoid COVID-19 related legal matters or are currently facing a possible COVID-19 related  lawsuit, in Miami and North Miami Beach, the Perazzo Law Firm urges you to get in touch with one of our personal injury staff ONLINE now for a FREE initial consultation to discuss your COVID-19 food business concerns. 

Based on research carried out by the Perazzo Law Firm's personal injury writing staff, and based information available on the CDC and FDA's official websites, the following important guidelines for preventing COVID-19 lawsuits and keeping your staff and customers safe are presented below. NOTE: It is the job of the business operator or manager to enforce the guidelines listed below.

Facial Coverings & Other. The CDC states that all food service staff and workers wear cloth facial coverings at all times. This is due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 through droplets released when an infected individual coughs, sneezes, laughs, speaks, cries, or sweats. Thus, facial coverings, face shields, googles, hairnets, and gloves are highly recommended by the personal injury attorneys at the Perazzo Law Firm. Facial coverings should be washed after each shift with soap in warm water, either machine or hand washed. Gloves may not substitute regular hand sanitation. 

Social in-house Distancing. Though not always possible in more confined cooking and food prep areas, business operators to apply strategies such as floor markings to control the flow of staff or carryout any needed remodeling to enhance work spaces. The recommended distancing suggested by the CDC is 6 feet between individuals. This distance should be enforced as best as possible by food business operators and managers. 

Employee Sanitation & Hygiene. Making sure that food workers follow strict hygiene and sanitation protocol is the sole responsibility of the food business operators. This must be enforced at all times. Furthermore, the business operator may be held liable for COVID-19 negligence if the food business operator fails to provide food service staff with the proper elements with which to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among staff and customers. Regular supply of cloth facial coverings, responsible gloves, and hand sanitizer must be provided to staff by the food service operator. 

Disinfecting the Premises. The food business operator must enforce the implementation of regular disinfection of walking surfaces and all areas that come into contact with foods such as: counter tops, stove tops, ranges, food prep areas, handles, doorknobs, timers, walls, etc. Disinfection should consist of a bleach/water solution or an alcohol/water based solution. Walking surfaces in and around the food service business should be cleaned regularly. 

Handling Food. Ready to eat foods must never be handled by an employees bare hands. Gloves, as stated previously, must always be used when handling foods. The business operator must guarantee the regular supply of disposable gloves and be attentive to gloves that may be ripped or worn from overuse. Ready to eat food business must offer and provide disposable utensils to food service customers. Hands must be washed for 20 minutes using soap and water before and after wearing gloves.

Salad Bars and Buffets Tables. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 from foods, business operators are urged to not offer customers foods exposed to air particle such as in salad bars and buffet tables. As the coronavirus is spread through droplets from humans, they can easily travel through the air and make their way onto food. Keep all foods under cover and fresh to safeguard against illnesses from tainted foods.

Instruct Employee to Stay Home: Foster stay-at-home-if-you-feel-ill policies so that employees that feel sick, don't come to work. The business operator should make certain the employee's belonging such as locker, uniforms, and other elements used by the ill employee are disinfected. The food business operator should check the CDC's guidelines for dealing with COVID-19 positive employees. Employees should not fear their job is in danger should they be asked or need to stay home or receive medical treatment. Employees should stay home until administered a clean bill of health from a professional healthcare practitioner. 

Ventilation. Proper and modern ventilation procedures are fundamental for keeping work areas clean and staff healthy. Work areas, apart from regular disinfection, need to be well ventilated, especially after working hours when no staff and customers are around. Ventilating confined areas is fundamental fro lowering the possibilities of contracting COVID-19 in a workplace. 

If you are a food service operator or business owner catering to customers in Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Little Havana, Orlando, or any other Miami-Dade or Broward city or suburb, contact the personal injury attorneys at the Perazzo Law Firm for a FREE initial consultation. 

You can reach us at our Miami or North Miami Beach law office ONLINE or CALL (786) LAWS-411 now!