The United States has passed the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths. The pandemic has severely affected people’s health and livelihoods. Gas station and c-store owners are among the people most vulnerable to this novel disease.
It’s critical to take a proactive approach to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. Here’s an informative guide for gas station and c-store owners to run their business safely during the coronavirus outbreak:
Personal hygiene
As obvious it may sound, it’s critical to ensure excellent personal hygiene at your gas stations to avoid the spread of COVID-19. All the workers should be provided with personal protective equipment and trained to ensure social distancing.
Here are some of the personal hygiene best practices that everyone should follow:
- Wash hands with soap for no less than 20 seconds.
- Avoid touching face, especially eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Cover sneezes with a crux of the elbow or use a tissue paper.
- Touch the faucets and door handles using a tissue paper. Also, use hand sanitizer frequently throughout the shift.
Cleaning
The gas station and c-store should be kept clean with chemical cleaners and disinfectants. From floors to POS terminals, every area and equipment should be cleaned regularly. The person responsible for cleaning should have a PPE gear, including gloves.
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While it’s impractical to clean the entire space multiple times a day, anything touched by customers and workers, including door handles, drawers, POS systems, gas station equipment, must be cleaned after, say, every couple of hours.
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Social distancing
Encourage social distancing at your gas station and c-store. It’s the best way to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It involves avoiding contact and keeping a six feet distance from others. Employees should be provided with proper training to follow social distancing rules.
In addition to that, it’s highly recommended to create and enforce SOPs at your facility. Here are some suggestions:
- Check temperatures of staff before the start of the shift.
- Use hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks during the shift.
- Avoid gathering in groups and maintain social distancing at all times.
Contactless payment
In light of COVID-19, most consumers like to pay using contactless payment systems, more specifically using credit cards. Handling money is one of the ways the virus spreads, hence you must have an EMV compliant system at your gas station and c-store.
John W. Kennedy Company is a leading service station equipment provider where you can purchase high-quality gas station equipment and supplies. We provide a variety of petroleum equipment and supplies, including EMV POS terminals, fuel management systems, and other products at competitive prices. Visit our online store to browse our products.
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