WASHINGTON — The US Food and Drug Administration and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration have teamed up to the develop an employee health and food safety checklist for food operations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The checklist pulls from existing guidance provided by the FDA, OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and may help food industry members assess employee health, social distancing and food safety within workplaces as operations may be impacted by COVID-19.

It includes a section focused on employee health, screening and operation configuration for social distancing to prevent or minimize the spread of COVID-19. General safety measures are provided, along with considerations for facilities, all personnel and people who are symptomatic or develop symptoms at work.

A second section highlights existing food safety requirements that may help the food industry asses the potential impact of COVID-19-related operational changes. Considerations include changes to suppliers, incoming ingredients, personnel and procedures.

The agencies noted that the checklist is not an exhaustive list of all measures that food operations may take to protect employee health and food safety but serves as a quick reference to identify areas where additional attention may be warranted.

The checklist can be found here, on the FDA's website.

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