We all put great focus into maintaining cleanliness in our restaurants; however, it is a fact that restaurants, as with many other public establishments, are easy target for the spread of germs and illness.  With the potential spread of the H1N1, ‘Swine’ Flu this fall, restaurants need to start acting now to prevent any potential spread of the illness to your establishment.

 The National Restaurant Association along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ecolab have put together a recommendation plan to help control the spread of the virus:

• Base your strategies and response on information from state and local health officials concerning the severity of the outbreak as well as on an anticipated amount of worker absenteeism in your business. Communicate your plans to employees.
• Encourage your employees to be vaccinated against the flu.
• Advise workers exhibiting flu-like systems to remain at home and not return to work until at least 24 hours after the fever has passed. Expect workers to be out for three to five days in most cases. Ensure that leave policies are flexible and not punitive.
• Flu viruses can spread from person to person through the air, so ask employees to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze. Provide tissues and other disposables for employees and customers to use.
• Reinforce personal hygiene. Advise employees to wash their hands regularly using soap and water, wipes or alcohol-based hand cleaners.
• Cross-train personnel to perform critical functions in the event that key employees are absent.
• Increase cleaning and disinfection frequency, particularly for such touch points as door handles, tables and registers. Deep clean at least three times a day during an outbreak.
• Consider closing public gathering areas like beverage and condiment dispensers, buffets, salad bars and, depending upon the severity of the outbreak, table service.
• Consider closing and offering only drive-thru service or delivery only in case of a severe pandemic, like the one that occurred earlier this year in Mexico.

We encourage you to look over and discuss implementing these tips as a way to keep your business healthy through this flu season.

Vine Solutions, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and has offices in Corte Madera and Santa Monica, California.  Vine Solutions, Inc., provides accounting and financial advisory services to a variety of high volume independent restaurants and regional chains.  For more information, e-mail Vine  Solutions at info@vinesolutions.com, follow us on twitter at twitter.com/VineSolutions or read our blog at restaurantaccountingblog.com.