If you’d asked us at the start of 2020 that we’d be awarding COVID-19 Standard Certificates to hospitality venues across the UK, we’d never have believed you.
In just three months we’ve awarded over 600 certificates and conducted close to 1,000 inspections. Helping our clients be compliant at all times – even during a pandemic – sits at the heart of what we do at Food Alert.
When went into lockdown in March, as a nation we had to change our day to day routines and way of doing business overnight. Sadly, there is still no sign of the pandemic coming to an end, but we are finding ways of living and working with it.
The Food Alert COVID-19 Standard Certification Scheme was designed to help hospitality operators re-open their businesses with the correct control measures in place to protect employees, customers and visitors.
Not only does the Standard offer clear guidance on what a business needs to do but verifies that the necessary controls have been successfully implemented, giving both reassurance and confidence to guests and staff that the venue is going above and beyond the government’s guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s more, the scheme doesn’t end at the point of certification, it is a continuous process, whereby the public can provide feedback and ratings in four key areas to monitor your COVID-19 safety measures. These are:
- Social Distancing
- Cleanliness
- Staff Behaviour
- Overall Satisfaction
Also, on an ongoing basis, Food Alert’s team of experts continue to audit a venue’s safety practices against its Standard to ensure they are maintaining their safety practices and are Covid compliant with the latest Government legal requirements.
So, what criteria do you have to implement in order to pass the Food Alert COVID-19 Standard and be awarded a certificate and window sticker for display from one of our team of expert Environmental Health Auditors?
There are three stringent health and safety core areas the Standard covers:
Management Controls:
- All management and team members have completed COVID-19 training
- Guest contact details are recorded and retained for 21 day
- Staff rotas are recorded and retained for 21 day
- Daily Covid-19 health confirmation checks are being carried out for all team members and contractor/visitors prior to starting work
Front of House:
- Physical distancing controls are being adhered to
- Sufficient supply of hand sanitiser is provided
- Tables, chair and hand contact points are cleaned and sanitised between guests
- Team members are adhering to good hand hygiene procedures
Back of House:
- Physical distancing controls are in place and adhered to
- Sufficient supply of hand sanitiser
- Team members are adhering to good cleaning and disinfection procedures
- Covid-19 signage is displayed in all relevant areas
- Outer clothing is stored and not left exposed
- Team members only change into their uniform when they arrive at work
Click here to find out more about Food Alert’s COVID-19 Standard Certificate.