Covid-19 Policy

It is our view that the COVID environment, or a smaller derivation, will continue to pervade our daily lives for many years in Queensland. As a result, our policies and procedures have been drafted mindful that the behavioural change required to operate in a safe environment, will be for the long term.

We have put together the following COVID-19 Safety Plan and will continue to monitor the situation and adhere to the advice of health authorities.

Currently, there is no evidence of food-borne transmission being a significant pathway for COVID-19 and the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Linen and Fork aim to protect our customers and prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) through maintaining good hygiene practices and following physical distancing principles along with the steps outlined below.

Our staff are highly qualified Chefs, who hold their Food Safety Supervisor certification. These are available upon request.

Although strict hygiene measures are already in place as part of Linen and Fork’s Food Safety Program, all staff are reminded to:

• Wash their hands frequently when preparing foods, after going to the bathroom, after handling money and after touching their face or hair
• Avoid touching their eyes, mouth and nose
• Avoid touching areas that have been in direct contact with a customer
• Exclude themselves from the workplace if they have a suspected communicable disease with symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or any flu-like symptoms
• If wearing gloves, change gloves regularly between activities with thoroughly washing hands between glove changes.

Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and the health and safety of others in the workplace. All workers must co-operate with any reasonable policy or procedure that relates to health and safety at the workplace including in relation to COVID-19.

To ensure Linen and Fork is complying with duties to prevent exposure to unacceptable health and safety risks, any staff member that appears unwell will be sent home immediately by management. All staff are encouraged to download the COVID Safe App to assist with tracing and tracking.

Physical distancing rules will be in place across all Linen and Fork events and in our shop premises through the following steps:

• Discouraging queuing where possible.
• Leaving a 1.5m gap between each table of different groups of people.
• Displaying signage where appropriate to direct customers to follow physical distancing principles.
• Where possible, have separate entry and exit points for guests.

Due to the pandemic, additional cleaning processes will be implemented throughout Linen and Fork’s operations. These include:

• Maintaining thorough cleaning and sanitising of facilities, equipment and transport vehicles (including food contact surfaces and equipment).
• Increasing the frequency of current cleaning schedules to at least twice a day. This includes door handles (front door, fridge/ freezer handles), bathrooms, service counters, handrails and EFTPOS keypads.
• Continuing to use highly concentrated, chlorine-based (bleach) disinfectants to clean all surfaces.
• Making fresh bleach solutions daily to ensure effectiveness is not lessened.
• Increasing cleaning regimes for all other areas within our business including food preparation areas and equipment and front of house areas where customers access in line with Safe Work Australia’s guidance on Cleaning and COVID-19.
• Extra washing and sanitising all food preparation containers, utensils and chopping boards.
• Having hand sanitiser stations available at all events and in all transport vehicles.
• All crockery used is to be washed in our commercial dishwashers which operate at over 80 degrees Celsius to effectively disinfect.
• Providing closed bins for workers where appropriate to hygienically dispose of waste and rubbish such as used tissues immediately after use.

Linen and Fork aim to ensure that our service operations and guidelines protect the well-being of our customers and staff. Processes put in place include:

• Continuing to offer contactless payment options for food and beverage purchasing.
• Only operating tray service for beverages at events. Guests can still come up to the bar but must return to their seat with their drink as soon as possible.
• Removing all serve yourself buffet style food service areas and communal water stations.
• No shared food items will be available. All will be served by staff or individual servings depending on menu style.
• Place tables to ensure that persons seated at those tables are 1.5 metres apart.
• Any furniture used will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use.
• Removing all open food displays or food on display meant for consumption.
• Ensuring hand sanitiser is available and easily accessible for all guests and staff.
• Working with the host of the event and our venue partners to collect details of patrons.

Whilst Linen and Fork’s transport fleet is already food safe and subject to strict cleanliness guidelines, additional measures will be introduced including:

• Provision of a spares box that contains single use gloves and hand sanitiser to be available in every vehicle.
• Sanitisation of frequently touched surfaces such as the steering wheel, door handles, controls or buttons, seatbelts and keys after the use of each driver.
• Having 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes available in each van to sanitise phones used for deliveries.
• Continuing to only having contactless, pre payment available for all delivery orders.