COVID-19 Traders Resources - Social Distancing & Hand Hygeine

Introduction

The coronavirus pendemic has produced the requirement for increased hand hygeine and the promotion of social distancing. This unit explains both and what action you should be taking as a stallholder on our markets to comply. It then ends with a brief quiz to test your knowledge.

Hand Hygeine

It is well established that the coronavirus passes from one person to another either by airborn particles or by virus picked up by the hands and transfered to the face where it can enter the body. It is not thought to survive for long in the environment.

The virus can be killed on your hands by washing with soap for 20 seconds. This is because the soap attacks the outer coating of the sack the virus is contained within and when exposed it 'dies'. Alternately, it can be killed by using hand sanitiser with over 60% alcohol.

Alternately, gloves can be worn as a 'second skin' and disposed of after use.

Face masks can prove useful but, when used by the public, it is though mainly to stop the emmision of virus charged airborn particles leaving the mouth during coghing/sneezing. However, they may reduce the chance of breathing such particles in as well.

Glasses (or goggles/visors) can also stop such particles entering the eyes when sneezed/coughed into a persons's face.

You may also see medical staff wearing disposable overclothing. This is to remove the cance of virus lodging in cloths and being transferred by hands to the face.

Currently, the official recommended course of action is to wash/sanitise hands after contact with people/surfaces, not to touch one's face prior to that action and to keep over 1.5 meters from other people.

Social Distancing

Given that the virus is passed from one person to another the idea of distancing has obvious appeal as a tactic. In order to promote this there have been two approaches adopted:

Health Orders

The NSW Governement is frequently updating the public health order (Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) which includes rules restricting the number of people who can meet, banned activities, activities which are allowed where a COVID Safety Plan is in place and the like.

If a market predominantly sells food a limit is not placed on the number of visitors (although policy recommendations promotes social distancing) and a record of vistors is not required.

Policy Recommendations

The main policy recommendation of relevance to operation of markets is the recommendation to stay more than 1.5 meters away from other people 'when possible'. This leads to practices such as floor marking with lines or crosses 1.5 meters apart to help manage queues.

Actions the market should take

There are a range of actions the market should take to help support public policy but no particular actions required by law save to ensure we remain a food market in order to be covered by the exemptions. To this end we have adopted a predominantly food policy until the Health Order is varied.

Our markets have adopted the following measures at each market to support public policy:

• Displaying Corona Virus Warning Signs.
• Provide Sanitiser at the market.
• Warning customers about appropriate behaviour such as coming alone, use credit card tap, not coming when sick, not handling produce, etc - see the 'code' below.
• Adjusting the layout at the markets to maximise distance between stalls. The policy objective is to allow 1.5 meters distance between people where possible.
• Chalking 1.5 meter queueing points where possible.
• Asking traders to adopt appropriate behavious - offer credit card tap, bring sanitiser, control queuing, don't come if sick, etc - see 'code' below.
• Promote a #SHOPandGO style of trade and tape off areas/benches where the public may linger.
• Restrict access to the market area if overcrowding appears likely and the site allows this action.
• Spray hot spots (toilet doors, water tap nobs, flush leavers, etc.) regularly with alcohol/disinfectant effective on viruses.

Customer Code

• Only one member of a household attend the market to pick up produce if possible.
• Pre-order and pick up from the trader where you can.
• Adhere to the restrictions of physical distancing by keeping 1.5 meters apart whenever possible.
• Use credit cards and tap them.
• Do not to enter stalls so as to over crowd them. Look at queue marks.
• Carry your own satiser and use it.
• Request items you would like to purchase so stallholders can hand them to you.
• Don't touch fruit, vegetables and any other produce that you don't intend to buy.
• People who are high risk, recently returned from overseas and anyone who is unwell or showing symptoms of Covid-19, cold or flu should stay home and not attend the markets. You can check your symptoms here.
• Ready to Eat food is only available as takeaway

Traders should adopt the following code.

Trader Code

• Social distancing and high levels of hand washing/sanitising are critical.
• Make sure you have hand sanitiser available for staff and customers.
• Display virus warning signs. You can use this.
• Promote credit card tap
• Arrange your stall so that you can serve customers rather than having them handle things and maintain distancing (1.5 meters where possible)
• Mark queuing spots with chalk (1.5 meters apart)
• Hot water (above 60 degrees) is very effective at killing the virus so use your dish washers off site to clean pots, pans, utensils, etc and make sure the water runs at above 60 degrees.
• The official guidance is to wash/sanitise hands and distance and you must comply with this but you may find customers are given added confidence if they see masks and gloves.
• People who are high risk, recently returned from overseas and anyone who is unwell or showing symptoms of Covid-19, cold or flu should stay home and not attend the markets. You can check your symptoms here.
• If you feel you want to phone anyone for guidance check this link.

It's important that trader adopt enhanced cleaning procedures. This means disinfecting touch points such as credit card taps and the like in a systematic way (eg every hour) and to keep a record. A simple paper record like the ones used in toilets will suffice.

Please complete and submit the quiz below.

Quiz

Q. No.	Question	Answers
43	What is the recommended minimum distance between people where possible?	4 meters square 1.5 meters 5 meters 3 meters none
44	What symptoms should keep anyone away from the market?	Temperature Sore throat Flu like symptoms Cold like symptoms Any of the above
45	What is the minimum percent of alcohol required in sanitiser for it to kill the coronavirus?	25% 50% 60% 70% 80%
47	What is the current official recommendation to avoid catching the coronavirus?	Stay at home save for essential purposes. Hand washing/sanitising frequently. Staying 1.5 meters away from others wherever possible. Not touching your face. All of the above.
48	Select the answer which specifies the legal basis for the restrictions that stop people leaving home, closing premises, opening shops and the like.	The Prime Ministers press conferences The NSW State Premiers press conferences. A health order called the Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order 2020. The media. The local council.
49	Why are retailers asking customers to tap credit cards only?	It costs money to handle cash. To avoid bank fees when banking cash. To make sure the virus cannot be passed around on cash when it is handled. Cash is dirty. As a security measure.
50	What is a #SHOPandGO style of trading?	It is where customers come to a market, minimise socialising, make their purchases, minimise their time at a market and then leave quickly with their shopping. It is a form of home delivery. Its a special type of trading that only supermarkets adopt. Its a way of using your credit card. None of the above.
51	Should queuing marks be chalked on the floor and if so how far apart?	No. Yes and 1 meter apart. Yes and 1.5 meters apart. Yes and 2 meters apart. Yes and 3 meters apart.
52	How do we make sure sanitiser is available at the markets.	Ask customers to bring it. Ask stallholders to bring it. Bring it ourselves. Place it in access points. All of the above.
53	What rules apply to take away food?	Stallholders cannot put tables and chairs out. Customers must take food away from the stall before eating it. Customers cannot meet as a group at the market to eat the food together. Areas where the public do meet up in groups should be taped off All of the above.

Please enter your email address (if blank):

Please enter your trader id (if blank):

Enter Code: