Best practices for reducing the risk of COVID-19 spreading in logistics | Progresiv

ECR Community professional association, which brings together managers and experts in retail and FMCG, recently published the code of best practices in logistics developed by the Italian operators in this sector, in order to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.

The safety measures provided for in the guide concern both the activity carried out in warehouses and outside of them, on the distribution chain. It is estimated that they could reduce the productivity of logistics employees by 15-20%, but companies can compensate by increasing the number of working shifts during peak periods.

1) Regarding the management of warehouses and truck drivers, the Guide of best practices in logistics recommends:

• Firm separation of activities involving the contact of the employees from the warehouse with the external environment (eg the reception of goods) from the activities carried out only inside (storage, picking and order processing). Also, it is necessary to avoid the exchange of personnel between the two types of activities, as well as the access in the warehouse of the employees from offices or production, and of any person coming from outside.
• Employees at the Reception of goods and those who load cars, as well as drivers must wear protective masks and gloves when exchanging documents or goods with others. They should also wash their hands with a disinfectant after each contact with another person.
• Keeping the distance of one meter between the person who handles the documents and the one who receives them.
• If there is a waiting room for drivers, it is recommended that they occupy the seats so that there is a free seat between two people.
• Drivers must wear a mask when unloading or loading cargo. If they do not have a mask, make them available masks or refuse delivery. Ideally, logistics companies should have boxes with separators where drivers can leave freight delivery documents.
• Checking the body temperature with contactless thermometers for all employees, at the time of entering the shift, as well as the obligation to wash their hands with hot water and soap - this is also valid when leaving the shift.
• Avoiding the exchange of working tools between the people in the warehouse. Before receiving any work tools and when leaving the tour, employees must disinfect the tools.
• Operators should avoid carrying out activities that are not necessarily required, such as inventory checking, meetings to check the status of ongoing projects.
• Whenever possible, weekly sanitation and disinfection of storage facilities, offices and all rooms used by humans is recommended.

2) Regarding prevention in the supply chain, the recommended measures are:

• Avoid face-to-face meetings or, if this is not possible, limit the number of participants. In meetings the distance of one meter between the participants must be maintained and also a distance of one meter between the chair and the table.
• Employees with the slightest signs of flu should be sent home. In the case of new employees or temporary workers, a thorough health check must be carried out prior to employment and you should also ask them to sign a declaration on their own responsibility that they have not been in contact with people infected with COVID-19 or at risk of contamination in the last 14 days.
• Closing the canteens for employees and coffee machines. They can be replaced by placing online food orders with delivery to the workplace.
• The introduction of several time intervals to start the work schedule, so as to avoid crowding in the halls or in the equipment rooms.
• Suggested precaution measures could reduce employee productivity by 15-20%. However, companies can introduce multiple shifts or additional bonus work overtime to cope with peak periods.
• Better communication and empathy with the employees, so that they feel understood and protected. It is also recommended to send clear and exhaustive information on COVID-19 to employees.
• Increase the volume of replenishment orders as much as possible. For example, if you double the volume of orders, the frequency of deliveries is halved and, consequently, you significantly reduce the risk of coronavirus spread.
• Prioritizing deliveries to hospitals or regions most affected by the coronavirus epidemic.
• Proactive and transparent communication with all business stakeholders. For example, you can share with retailers associations the measures taken to lessen the impact of the current crisis on business.