Lessen COVID restaurant risks with BOP coverage and these safety steps
Operating a food service business already comes with certain risks, but during this pandemic, COVID restaurant risks are particularly heightened. One cost-effective and efficient way to protect your business is with a BOP: business owners policy catered to food service risks.
A BOP offers property and liability coverage for any real estate your business owns; if you lease your space, it covers your improvements to the building. It also covers food, dishes, and equipment. Any business that serves food carries the risk that its product could cause food poisoning or transmit a communicable disease. Adding food contamination endorsement to your policy helps cover you for this risk.
Arrowhead’s BOP offers not only food contamination endorsement, but also spoilage coverage, liquor liability, cyber and employment practices liability, equipment breakdown, employee theft and transit coverage options.
Here are a few ways to help prevent COVID restaurant risks for your café, deli, diner, gourmet restaurant or food service business, courtesy of Zurich:
Physical distancing helps prevent COVID restaurant risks
- Add floor markings or physical barriers for patrons entering the restaurant, for social distancing at or around the hostess stand and waiting area.
- Rearrange placement of tables to accommodate physical distancing requirements.
- Add outdoor seating where permitted.
- Remove seating at the bar to accommodate physical distancing requirements.
- Limit restroom occupancy.
- Observe physical distancing requirements in the kitchen and service bar areas:
- Revise food preparation operations that may affect production or quality.
- Limit the maximum number of employees allowed in service area at one time.
- Restrict kitchen access to non-kitchen employees.
- Revise protocols for servers to ensure appropriate physical distancing:
- Tables set-up at a minimum of 6-foot distances
- Face coverings worn as required
- Use of electronic or other methods of menu ordering
- If the restaurant is continuing curb-side pick-up after opening of dining operations,
- Discuss any changes to procedures since reopening
- Has the pick-up location been changed since reopening? Discuss changes.
- Adjust the practices for the receiving of products from third party vendors to ensure physical distancing requirements
Adjust policies for the workplace
- Conduct formal training for all employees on new policies such as entry and exit procedures, cleaning and disinfecting program, physical distancing and interacting with patrons.
- Train all employees on new policies and procedures for
- Any state-specific requirements related to COVID-19
- Handwashing and sanitizing policy
- Use of face coverings
- Determine policy for use of protective gloves; require gloves for all food handling personnel
- Required PPE use and how to wear/remove PPE (and ensure adequate supplies of all PPE)
- New requirements pertaining to employee dining areas, break areas and locker rooms
- Food safety program
- Liquor liability controls and program
- Entry and exit of building
- Illness reporting
- Cleaning and disinfecting protocols
- Adjustments physical distancing
- Patron interactions
- Advise any vendors or contractors of all new policies and requirements.
COVID-related signage
- Signage at host stand/entrance indicating any rules or requirements for entry
- Occupancy signage for restrooms
- Occupancy signage for kitchen and back of house areas
- Handwashing signage in all restrooms and employee areas
Cleaning & disinfecting crucial to minimizing COVID restaurant risks
- Ensure availability of all cleaning supplies
- Train all employees on new cleaning and disinfecting protocols
- Cleaning and disinfecting of all tables, bar area and other surfaces after each use
- Frequent cleaning of other common areas and touch points
- Cleaning and disinfecting protocols/enhancements for kitchen and back of house service areas
- Use of EPA approved cleaning products
- Develop cleaning and disinfecting protocols consistent with CDC, local health or National Restaurant Association guidelines
Screening
- Completion of health questionnaire for employees, contractors and vendors when entering the property
- Temperature screening of employees, vendors and contractors (if required)
- Employee illness reporting requirements