InfinityQS in the news: In an article for Food and Safety Strategies, director of global channel programs for InfinityQS, Jason Chester, shares critical insight into how COVID-19 is impacting the food industry and what changes we can expect to see in the future.
Few events in recent memory have had the seismic impact of COVID-19. Around the world, businesses have had to implement work-from-home or social-distancing measures—or to even cease operations temporarily. Among friends and families, social engagements have been limited to video calls. Meanwhile, there are entire industries—from retail to travel—now facing major upheaval.
Even amidst these disruptions, however, the food industry carries on. After all, food producers and manufacturers have the
important role of providing essential goods to stock warehouses and grocery stores throughout our communities, with some plants working around the clock to keep supply up to meet demand. Yet while the lights remain on inside most production sites, food manufacturing has not been immune to the changes brought on by COVID-19.
Namely, we’re seeing manufacturers across the industry make significant—albeit necessary—changes to their operations to protect plant-floor employees, including:
- Limiting the number of workers per shift to make it easier to follow social distancing recommendations from the FDA.
- Encouraging employees to work from home if their role doesn’t require them being on the plant floor (e.g., quality professionals or plant-level quality managers).
- Allowing regular hand-washing breaks, as well as time dedicated each day for facility-wide disinfecting and cleaning.
- Introducing temperature testing of employees before they enter plants.