Food Safety Training for Delivery Drivers

The following excerpt is from Always Food Safe’s training for delivery drivers. As you know, the food service industry is relying on more and more food delivery to grow and maintain revenue, if not to survive. With the threat of coronavirus and COVID-19, this training and understanding of basic food safety is critical.

This course is designed to give you basic understanding of basic food safety and what your role is in order to protect the food you’re delivering, as well as yourself and your customers.

There are four areas we’ll be focusing on – personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing, cross contamination, and time and temperature control for safety.

Personal Hygiene

First off, stay at home if you’re sick. If you develop a fever or symptoms such as a cough or trouble breathing, call your medical healthcare provider for advice. Next, avoid close contact with people who are sick. Wear clean clothes, shower daily, and if you have long hair keep it tied up or back.

Now, let’s talk about maintaining social distancing. That is a minimum of six feet, the further apart the better. If you cannot maintain a distance of six feet, wear a mask. On this point, it may be mandatory for you to wear a mask, so check with your local and state officials to see what is required.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you don’t have access to water and soap, use an alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% alcohol. When should you wash your hands? Before and after each delivery.

Other times you should wash your hands are:

  • After coughing or sneezing
  • Before and after eating and drinking
  • After using tobacco
  • After pumping gas
  • After using the restroom
  • After touching or removing your face covering.

Cleaning and Sanitizing

Now let’s talk about your vehicle. Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s so clean you can eat off it”? That’s what you should strive for when it comes to your vehicle. Your vehicle isn’t necessarily designed for this job. Does it double for personal or family use? Is it maintained or cleaned as well as it should be?

Keep your vehicle free of any debris: old food containers, pet hair, and personal items. In this situation, less is more.

Before and after each delivery, clean and sanitize:

  • Door handles
  • Steering wheel
  • Gear shift
  • Seat belt
  • Window controls
  • Dashboard
  • Anything else your hands touch

Don’t forget to wipe down devices like cell phones after each use as well.

Cross-Contamination

When food items are not handled safely, the disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, parasites, or viruses results in cross contamination. You as a driver need to be aware of the dangers of cross contamination from the time you pick up the food until you deliver it. This shouldn’t be an issue, as you will pick up the food in a sealed container or bag, and then deliver it in the same manner that you received it.

However, we have all heard stories of drivers touching, testing, and tasting food before they deliver it. It goes without saying that this is unacceptable and extremely unhygienic. It also drastically increasing the risk of cross contamination. You as a driver need to understand these simple, yet vital, points.

Time and Temperature Control

Time and temperature control come down to this: keep cold foods cold and hot foods hots. Deliver the food as quickly and safely as possible, avoiding any unnecessary stops. According to the FDA food code, bacteria grows most rapidly between 41º Fahrenheit and 135º Fahrenheit. They will double in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is called the “temperature danger zone.”

Before you pick up the food, the chefs and cooks have taken every step possible to keep the food out of the food danger zone. Once you pick it up, those controls that they have put into place are gone. You will need to do your best to keep the food out of the zone as long as possible. We strongly suggest that you provide an insulated food bag and gel packs if possible.

About Dot It Restaurant Fulfillment

Dot It is a single-source brand partner specializing in food safety products and print solutions. We offer comprehensive fulfillment solutions—sourcing, printing, kitting, order processing, warehousing and distribution—for growing brands looking to streamline their supply chain and maintain brand consistency.

Dot It can also help you learn how to improve food safety with our free resources. To learn more, email sales@dotit.com or call 1-800-642-3687.