Any Covid19 safety suggestions for supermarkets etc to adopt?

[BlackberryGin]

We are all (?) trying to keep ourselves and others safe in this epidemic. We are told about social distancing and hand-washing etc and hopefully we are complying with this as much a possible.
However, there seem to be so many areas of potential improvement that are not being highlighted and adopted. No doubt some will take some organising and incur a cost, but others could be at no or low cost and easy win.
An example or two:
I watched some shoppers the other day, picking up items and then replacing them on the shelves. At the reduced counter, the same items were picked up repeatedly and replaced when the shoppers had checked the price tag on the base. We all do this and it's invariably an oblivious and automatic action.

It would be a quick win for the manager to use a marker pen and create a few posters and billboards around the shop, asking customers not to touch items unless they were selecting them for purchase, which would help to protect them and everyone else. Later, they could have proper posters printed and situated appropriately around the store. It's also pointless to have marked-down prices on the base of items and reducing by just a small percentage actually encourages the repeated touching of the same goods.
Other safety posters placed in the stores would be a good community action too, especially as for most people, it's the only place they are visiting. Basic reminders about social distancing, not sneezing into your hand, awareness about how long the virus can last on fabrics if you put your hands in your pockets after touching surfaces etc that may be contaminated - the list is endless. I know that it's not the supermarkets' responsibility to do this, but imo it would be very constructive and will raise awareness among the population about areas of hygiene that they had not considered previously.

Does anyone have any good practice suggestions that could be adopted by supermarkets and other businesses that are open at the moment? They may even be picked up by the companies involved and used to enhance and develop further their H&S practices.
Or am I deluded and unreasonable? Please don't answer that one!

Lots of people will agree with you, but although the virus can live on a variety of surfaces for hours/days, I can't actually imagine a situation where you would touch something enough to catch it from an object - much more likely to breath in droplets in the air from someone with the virus.

Wow - I was thinking about what would happen if someone was touching the items and they weren't so scrupulous about washing their hands after they had sneezed or touched their mouth etc. Do you think that this would apply? I'm just very conscious about how much people are pocking and prodding about with bags of breadbuns etc and then leaving them. Happy to learn more though thanks!

pocking? Maybe that too. Otherwise, poking ffs!

Oh fgs the chances are teeny of getting it from touching something at a supermarket. Just give over and wash your hands when you get home.

Two examples from where I am in Europe:

• Plexiglass screens between the customers and the till staff - very easy to do, they are just hung from the ceiling on wires.
• As of this Wednesday, all customers will be provided with paper masks which must be worn inside the shop to cover the nose and mouth

If you put posters all over the place people won't take the information in. It's too much. Same principle as with road signage.

Herc I am definitely not claiming to be a scientist but there must be some concerns about touching surfaces if my local supermarket is disinfecting the trolley and basket hands as well as counter surfaces where some customers rest their hands momentarily.

User - yes, I did wonder about that too and you are right, but a few strategic ones may be helpful. If they aren't noticed by many, there will be nothing lost.

Paper masks sound like a good plan, not P3 but better than nothing at all. There were scarcely any shoppers locally wearing masks.

Masks stop you spreading it, they don't stop you getting it.

People spend longer touching trolley handles than something they pick up and put down.

How have we gone from breathing all over each other 2 weeks ago to now this craziness?!

Yes I'm social distancing, yes I'm staying home but when I shop I'm careful not to touch my face and wash my hands when I get home.

I agree in principle, but having worked for a large retailer it makes me chuckle when people imagine 'the manager' doing jobs like getting out a marker pen to make a poster. Retailers have hierarchical staffing structures and the person that makes the poster will certainly not be the manager, responsible for a multi-million pound sales plan, multi-million pound staffing budget, massive amounts of due diligence etc.

My local Aldi had a basket of spray, kitchen towels and hand sanitiser just inside the door, so that you could clean your hands and the trolley handle. I thought that was a great idea.

our local supermarket (not in uk, supermarkets are mostly smaller) has made a one way system inside.
put red dots on the floor so it's easy to keep a distance.

you have to use a trolley (this is handed to you by a shop assistant), and you have to use handgel before entering. the trolley is washed before it is given to the next customer.
no cash accepted, only card.
still, covid-19 numbers are horrendous here

Putting things back on the shelf is unavoidable. Checking ingredients, whether items are suitable for vegetarians, checking use by dates. Some of the chilled foods aren't suitable for freezing, some are.

Most of this information is in tiny letters on the bottom of the packet.

It's also not easy to social distance in aisles that are 1.5m wide, though atleast some were courteous when I went shopping yesterday.

The manager in my nearest store (quite small by supermarket standards) is very hands-on so that's why I mentioned that and I have to say that he's great to deal with and a real community asset . I'm also used to hierarchical structures but there's nothing to stop anyone taking responsibility. It would be the manager or central management who would make the decision anyway then delegate as appropriate, but that's not really the issue.

I'm just wondering if we could do anything to help raise awareness and share best practice, which can't be a negative step to take. We are in a new situation here and not every organisation will have resilience plans that are sufficiently developed to cope with the current situation. Maybe we can be helpful and maybe we can't, but it's worth an attempt.

It seems mad that the checkout assistants don't have gloves or masks. They don't clean the trolley or basket handles or touch screens either. Very poor compared to what other countries have managed

I think this thread is a great idea, we may get good suggestions from posters in other countries who are ahead of us on this.

aanouncements over the tannoy may help as well every now and again. make a change from the musak.

Thanks ssd, I was beginning to cringe about my lack of common sense in raising it!

one way system, arrows on the floor.

There isn't anything you could come up with on this thread that supermarkets won't have thought about. They're re-adjusting what they do every day.

I do like the idea of the one way system though, even in non-dystopian times.

One. Way system is a ballache if you forget something from the start of the store.

My boyfriend made a joke that supermarkets should tape chevrons on the ground like motorways. Keep two chevrons apart at all times!!

After going today to a big supermarket I would suggest the clock and collect temp staff really need reminding about social distancing and not to lean over anyone when shopping

It happened in pretty much half the aisles I went down and if that wasn't happening they were stopped with their carts blocking shelves and having a chat

I wore a mask and so did quite a few people there.

I can't tell you the amount of times I went to touch my face or move my hair etc and then realised I had my mask on so we do it subconsciously.

I know people keep saying they aren't that good for protection and won't stop you catching it if someone behind me in a small aisle coughs or sneezes those droplets are travelling at speed in my direction. Even if they fend off only a few or if I cough or sneeze it stops me infecting someone if I'm not showing symptoms surely that's better than not at all?

I'm in the process of dying my hair ... it has reminded me how easy it is to spread germs if they are on your hands (looking at how many redish brown prints I manage to get around the bathroom).

My small local shop has stickers where you can stand when queuing it's a great idea and really simple. The stickers are very noticeable.