Coronavirus Policy

PP 5.1.18 PHILLIPPA’S NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID – 19) POLICY

We at Phillippa’s Bakery are committed to take precautionary measures and ongoing safety for our staff members, visitors, respective client members and ongoing interaction with associated people.

We are doing our best to maintain our standards. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will update the amends to our procedure as required and/or as directed by the Australian Department of Health or relevant state.

Immediate actions have been taken in various sections and processes, and supported via the following guidelines, and control measures will be reasonably practicable depending on the work being carried out in the facility.

Section 1: PP 5.1.3 Illness and Injury Policy

All employees working in production and warehouse areas are required to report poor health conditions apart from the mentioned conditions in PP 5.1.3 such as COVID-19 related symptoms stated as per the Victorian state government website.

Pathogens and virus that are involved with communicable diseases which can be transmitted by food from an infected person.

If you are infected by COVID-19, you are obliged to inform your Phillippa’s representative.

If you have been identified as a contact of a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection in Australia, the local public health unit will contact you with advice. You need to isolate yourself at home for 14 days after contact with the infected person, and to monitor your health and report any symptoms.

Person-to-person spread of coronaviruses generally occurs between people who are close contacts with one another. A close contact is typically someone who has been face to face for at least 15 minutes or been in the same closed space for at least 2 hours, with a person that was infectious. The public health unit will keep in touch with people who are close contacts of patients with COVID-19 infection. If any symptoms develop contacts must call the public health unit to report those symptoms.

If your contact with the person was less than this, there is a much smaller risk of you being infected. However, as a precaution you must still monitor your health until 14 days after you were last exposed to the infectious person. If you develop symptoms including a fever and/or respiratory signs, please call ahead to talk to a doctor or call health direct on 1800 022 222. Tell your doctor that you have been in contact with someone with COVID-19. The doctor may tell you to attend your nearest emergency department – if so when you arrive, immediately tell staff you have had contact with someone with COVID-19.

Return to work

Employees or contractors unable to work or returning to work after recovering must present a doctor’s Certificate of Clearance stating that they are fit to Return To Work prior to be admitted into a GMP area. If it is a common illness it must be stated that the person does not have COVID- 19

CORRECTIVE ACTION:

In the event of a person being ill with COVID-19 or tested positive in any of the zones, the event shall include prompt barricading the area and establishing an exclusion zone. The following must occur immediately.

  • Cease production immediately and no further processes should take place.

  • Inform your team Supervisor or Managers.

  • 1st aid officer to assist the ill person (where required) and escort him/her from production area if needed.

  • Quarantine any potentially (if any) contaminated raw materials including packaging materials, work in progress and finished products that has been in contact with the infected individual.

  • Identify and segregate all potentially exposed or suspected of being contaminated ingredients, and materials, and QA shall determine disposition of affected stock, this must be recorded, and inventory informed.

  • If any doubt QA will consider conducting a risk assessment regarding possible air contamination.

  • Initiate product recall if necessary.

Section 2: PP 5.1.2b Visitor and Contractor’s Policy

All Visitors and contractors need to sign in on arrival and confirm that they do not have or show symptoms of COVID-19.

All visitors and contractors must understand and fill necessary forms stated in our procedure PP 5.1.2b and PP 5.1.1 Personal Hygiene policy.

Entry into GMP area is prohibited, if a visitor and contractor has been exposed to or is affected or a carrier of any microbial or viral illness/disease.

All visitors and Contractors must be accompanied and escorted by Phillippa’s personnel.

 

 

Section 3: PP 5.1.1 Personal Hygiene Policy
All sections of PP 5.1.1 Personal Hygiene Policy must be followed.
As part of Personal hygiene and preventative measures:
    • Wash hands often with soap and running water, for at least 20 seconds. Dry with paper towel or hand dryer. Hands must be washed frequently.
    • Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
    • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow and dispose the tissue.
    • Stay at home if you feel sick. If you take medication make sure you have enough.
    • Phone your doctor or the hotline – 1800 675 398 – if you need medical attention. They will tell you what to do.
    • Continue healthy habits: exercise, drink water, get plenty of sleep.
    • Wearing a face mask is not necessary if you are well. If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people.
    • Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser and sanitize hands which is over 60 per cent alcohol.
    • Wear gloves in food production area and change them regularly, if you touch face, eyes, nose, sneeze, cough etc with gloves on it needs to be changed.
    • Use only Phillippa’s given pens, do not use other pens or pens from drivers.
    • No cough and sneeze policy must be followed: If any individual coughs or sneezes on product, packaging or exposed raw material, it must be notified to the supervisor and the product needs to be disposed.
    • Uniform procedure must be followed and anyone entering production area must wear uniform and gloves if they are touching naked product (PP 5.1.4).
    • Hand sanitizer will be placed in pastry, packing, bakery, lunchroom and warehouse to be used frequently.
  • https://youtu.be/d914EnpU4Fo (Hand washing procedure)
  • Section 4: Section 5.3 Process Monitoring, Cleaning and Sanitation

  • Frequency of environmental cleaning and product contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitised regularly.

As part of our daily cleaning schedule PF 5.3.2a we have also included to sanitize common areas such as doorknobs, benches, handrails, handles, dispensers, hand wash tap, switches all equipment buttons, chairs etc. This is to be done at least 2 times a day.
  • Cleaning of tables and equipment is done after every product change over and also sanitized using D4 sanitizers.

  • V wipes which are alcohol based are used to wipe hands and surfaces.

  • V wipes are used to wipe telephones, laptops, keyboards, keys, mobile phones.

  • Gloves are worn and changed frequently.

  • Bathrooms are cleaned as per cleaning schedule and general contact points are sanitized.

  • All cleaning contractors must understand cleaning procedures and preventative measures taken for COVID-19.

  • Cleaning and sanitation products are to be refilled regularly.

  • Gloves are to be worn while cleaning and changed regularly.
    Section 5: PP 5.10.5 Transport Vehicle Control, PP 5.10.8 Handling, Storage, Dispatch and Distribution All sections of PP 5.10.5, PP 5.10.8 are to be followed.

  • All delivery drivers need to understand and not directly come in contact with our staff members.

  • They should also declare stating that they have not travelled overseas especially high-risk regions.

  • Hand Sanitizers must be used while handling product during receivals.

  • We will continue to work with our supplier base to identify any risk for our current and future supplies and establish a contingency plan when required.

  • Warehouse personnel are to not come in direct contact with production staff members and implement social distancing.

  • Any issues regarding COVID-19 from raw material suppliers must be notified to Phillippa’s.

  • Gloves are to be worn during loading and unloading raw materials or finished product.

  • Phillippa’s given pens are to be used and they are not to be exchanged for use.

  • Thermometers also need to be sanitized at least twice a day.

  • Roller door must be closed at all times.
Corrective action as per section 1 needs to be implemented.

Section 6: Retail
All Phillippa’s retail stores to implement the following including personal hygiene and cleaning procedures:
  • Use masks as prevention if needed.

  • Staff who are unwell or show COVID-19 symptoms are required to not come to work.

  • Hands to be washed as soon as they enter working environment.

  • Menus and serviettes have been taken off the counter.

  • Follow Cough and Sneeze Policy: If any individual coughs or sneezes on product, packaging or exposed raw material, it must be notified to the supervisor and the product needs to be disposed.

  • Samples are not kept on counters for safety purposes.
  • Cleaning and sanitation in and around the shop and common identified touch points.
  • Customers are to avoid touching product over the counters.
  • Frequent use of hand sanitizers for staff and customers to use.
  • Only EFTPOS and credit cards to be used. No handling cash and tills are not to be counted at the end of the day.
  • Display cabinets are to be sealed or covered with glad wrap.
  • Division of staff needs to be followed as per shifts and given specific roles to avoid cross over of tasks.
  • Retail stores to provide only disposable coffee cups.
  • Hand washing procedure to be implemented regularly.
  • Possible use of black strip drawn on the floor to indicate customers to stand behind the line to implement social distancing.
  • Cleaning of common surfaces such as benches and tables frequently.
  • Sanitizers need to be frequently sprayed on doorknobs, dispensers, handrails, handles, hand wash tap, switches all equipment buttons, chairs etc.
  • Use only Phillippa’s used pen and do not to be exchanged for use.
  • Staff working in the bakery are not to expose themselves to the counter.
  • Customers having respiratory illness are not obliged to enter stores and are requested to order online.
  • All delivery drivers need to understand and not directly come in contact with our staff members and hands need to be washed before handling product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC4soCjxSOQ (Australian government health video link) Corrective action as per section 1 needs to be implemented.

Section 7: Overseas Travel or Contact with people who have been overseas

If you have been overseas in the last 14 days, you should:

  • Self-isolate yourself from others for 14 days from the day you returned or arrived from overseas and monitor yourself for symptoms.

If you develop a fever or respiratory symptoms, please:

  • Call your doctor or health direct on 1800 022 222. When you call, tell them where you have travelled or if you have been in contact with a confirmed case.
    or (if your symptoms are severe) visit your local Emergency Department. When you arrive, immediately tell staff where you have travelled or if you have been in contact with a confirmed case.

or (if your symptoms are severe) visit your local Emergency Department. When you arrive, immediately tell staff where you have travelled or if you have been in contact with a confirmed case.

If you have symptoms it is important that don’t go to work, school/university/childcare, the gym, or public areas, and you should not use public transport, taxis, or ride-sharing services. If you need to seek medical care wear a surgical mask if available when attending. You should not use public transport, taxis, or ride- sharing services to get to your doctor or emergency department.

  • Avoid travelling to countries which are in the high-risk zones such as China, Mongolia, Iran, Italy and south Korea.

  • Avoid contact with people who have travelled overseas and refrain from giving them shifts.

  • All Phillippa’s employees who have returned from overseas travel are to be self-quarantined for at

    least 14 days and shifts will not be given.

  • Avoid visiting public places, crowded areas, public events and avoid public transport as much as possible for all staff members and their concerned family members.

  • Avoid handshakes and greet by waving or joining your hands.

Testing is recommended for all returning overseas travellers who develop symptoms within 14 days of return.

Section 8: Prevention while using transportation and work elsewhere apart from Phillippa’s

Employees using public transport need to be mindful of following hand wash or sanitization procedure diligently:

  • Avoid touch poles and handles and instead lean for support.

  • Avoid sitting next to people.

  • Avoid having proximity with people while travelling.

  • Use hand sanitizers regularly after touching common surfaces or wash hands.

  • After using public toilets make sure that hands are washed properly.

  • Staff members are to refrain from working elsewhere apart from Phillippa’s.

  • Hands are to be washed as soon as you enter the facility.

  • Avoid visiting public places and using public drinking stations.

  • Masks to be wore as preventative measures if necessary.

  • While coughing and sneezing you must cover yourself with your hand or a handkerchief.

  • Ensure you are socially distancing from people.

  • Do not come to work if you are unwell.

  • Clean your vehicles and also the insides.

We are urging all of our team members to take precautionary measures to protect themselves and others and to follow the government guidelines. However, we are doing our best to maintain our standards. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will update the amends to our procedure as required and/ or as directed by the Australian department of health or relevant state.

As a Melbourne-owned family business, we understand the fears and concerns of our community and taking the needed precautionary actions for the business and also involved in providing assurance to customers and that our products are safe for consumption. Please refer to links below for updates and further information.

REFERENCE:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/coronavirus-faqs.aspx https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

Content Owner

Quality and Food Technologist

 

Document Title: PP 5.1.18 Phillippa’s Corona Virus Policy, Version No: 1

Reference ID: PP 5.1.18
Date of issue: 17/03/20

Authorized By: Andrew O’Hara