March 2020 will forever be known as the month when everything changed. Coronavirus revealed itself as a devastating foe that tore through the UK like a monsoon, devastating businesses and tearing thousands of our loved ones away from us far too soon.
To control the spread of the virus, the freedoms we had long taken for granted were curtailed and most of us spent the ensuing weeks and months hunkered down in our homes, worrying about the health and wellbeing of our loved ones – and of our jobs.
Today, however, great progress hhas been made with a vaccine rollout and test and trace. The virus appears to be retreating and we’re all being allowed to slowly but surely get back to our lives. But the virus isn’t going anywhere just yet and will be lingering on the periphery for a long time to come. In such a climate, employers and employees need to be incredibly vigilant, particularly if they work with food.
Whilst it’s very unlikely that coronavirus can be spread through food, it’s never been more important for those working with food to be aware of best hygiene practices. Because not only are there going to be more stringent hygiene needs in this post-lockdown world, there are going to be increased consumer expectations too.
That’s why we’ve put together a bespoke online training course as part of the Buddy; a course specifically focused on helping food business owners and employees return to work safely in a world where COVID-19 is still a very real and very serious threat.
What do our COVID-19 training courses offer?
There is a lot of noise and paranoia right now surrounding coronavirus and as such, it’s important to be able to separate fact from fiction, particularly if you’re working in a customer-facing sector where you’ll be working with food.
People are going to be understandably nervous as the wheels of the UK economy start turning again and whilst people appear to have been quite eager to return to the shops, food businesses are another thing entirely. And that’s before you even factor in your responsibilities towards your staff.
If you want to ensure your workforce is safe and protected and that they can serve the public with confidence in a climate of increased scrutiny, our online training course might be the ideal solution.
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Our short course aims to improve employee knowledge of coronavirus by letting them know how infection can be prevented, what changes they will need to make to their conventional working routines in order to accommodate those preventative measures, and how they can keep staff and customers safe.
The course is designed for anyone working in the food sector, be it as a server, chef, delivery driver, manager or cleaner, and will give all employees the confidence they need to remain safe at work and to be able to carry out their duties to the same high standards in these increasingly unprecedented times.
What does our course include?
Coronavirus basics – There are several coronavirus protocols that have become part of the shared public narrative in recent months such as social distancing and frequent hand washing (for 20 seconds at least each time). These are measures that will be reinforced in the course, alongside more thorough safety measures and procedures.
PPE – There is a common misconception that PPE simply refers to face masks and whilst they do play a part, it’s a more expansive subject than you might expect. During the session, you’ll learn how PPE can be used to protect food business staff as well as how to supply and best utilise it.
Risk assessment – You’re that much more likely to be able to safely negotiate your environment if you’re aware that a full risk assessment has been carried out. As such, our course will underline the important checks that will need to be carried out to help prevent infection. It will also cover how to carry out interactions with fellow employees whilst following government guidance.
Cleaning – Not only will the course reinforce the importance of keeping your hands clean, but it will also go into great detail on practices for keeping work surfaces and equipment clean, as the virus has been known to live on metals and plastics for up to 72 hours.
Getting to work – The course will explain what steps employees will need to take on their way to and from work to reduce their potential interactions with others and minimise their potential contact with the virus.
Handling food and money – We’ll help your staff to understand the renewed importance of handling food carefully and safely and the importance of keeping touch points clean. We’ll also actively encourage the use of contactless payment. The importance of keeping point of sale areas free from contamination will also be underlined.
Queue management – Queueing is unfortunately an inevitable aspect of almost all food businesses and with the social distancing rules, it’s vital that staff and employers know how to properly handle and manage those queues.
Prevention and control
For businesses that are either bringing in new staff or trying to help returning staff understand and appreciate ‘the new normal’, the Buddy COVID-19 Secure Online Training Course is the ideal way to give your staff and your customers peace of mind in an uncertain environment.
“The course itself is written by experts but it’s simple to follow.”
The course itself is written by experts but it’s simple to follow and can be taken online in just an hour or so from a wide range of devices. Learners can work at their own pace and will be spurred on by both interactive exercises that keep them engaged and compelling visual references.
Upon completion of the course, learners will also be awarded a certificate, which can proudly be displayed to instil confidence in your business and your workers.
It’s an uncertain world we’re all returning to and people need all the reassurance they can get if they are going to have confidence that the people they rely on to serve and prepare their food are taking every necessary precaution to prevent the spread of the virus. If we want to avoid a second wave and help our businesses thrive on the other side of the pandemic, understanding of best practice is a great start and that’s exactly what our course strives to offer.
To buy online go to: Buddy today, contact us and we’ll be in touch.
