OSHA, FDA develop checklist to protect food industry employees amid pandemic

U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have developed a checklist for human and animal food manufacturers to consider when continuing, resuming or reevaluating operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The checklist is useful for persons growing, harvesting, packing, manufacturing, processing or holding human and animal food regulated by FDA and includes the following considerations:

• Ensure employee health and a safe workplace;
• Investigate exposure and determine when an employee should be tested for the coronavirus; and
• Configure the work environment to help minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus among workers.

Food manufacturers can use this checklist along with other sector-specific information, such as guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and OSHA for agriculture and meat and poultry processing workers and employers.

OSHA has published numerous alerts and advisories for various industries, including Guidance on Returning to Work, which assists employers as they reopen businesses and employees return to work.

Visit OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage frequently for updates. For more information about coronavirus, please visit the CDC.