test
Centers for

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Date:

June 9, 2020

From:

Mark Methner, PhD, CIH, CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Jorge Alvarez, MD, MPH, CDC Team Lead

To:

Doug Nicholas, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Nicholas Meats, LLC

Copy:

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, Pennsylvania Department of State Health Services Region 1
Dr. Betsy Schroeder, Pennsylvania Public Health Veterinarian

Subject:

Strategies to reduce transmission of SARs-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,
among workers at the Nicholas Meats Plant, Loganton, Pennsylvania

Background
On May 8, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) requested technical assistance from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for an assessment of strategies to help mitigate
transmission of SARs-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, among workers in six food processing and
distribution facilities in northcentral, southcentral, and southeastern Pennsylvania. On May 13, 2020, a
CDC field team traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On May 14, 2020, the CDC team met with staff
from the (PA DOH) and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) to gain a better understanding
of their current epidemiological data and results from a previous site assessment performed by PDA. The
CDC team worked with PA DOH staff to determine the deployment objectives.
On May 15, 2020, the team visited one of the selected sites, the Nicholas Meats, LLC beef processing
facility in Loganton, PA, to evaluate existing health and safety controls implemented to prevent
transmission of SARs-Cov-2 and provide recommendations to help prevent and mitigate the spread of
COVID-19 between workers. The team included a physician, an industrial hygienist who specializes in
occupational safety and health, an epidemiologist, an environmental health officer, and a community
health behavior and education specialist/epidemiologist. The observations provided in this report are based
on this site visit, and conversations with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and plant manager. The
recommendations are steps Nicholas Meats, LLC should consider implementing to address items
identified at the plant.
Setting and Facility Description
At the time of our visit, the plant had a total of 52 documented cases of COVID-19 with one resulting in
hospitalization. The plant began operating in 1993 and currently processes 600 animals per day, which
management considers a normal production number. The facility is currently undergoing an expansion.
The plant was running one processing shift per day (day shift) and an overnight shift that focused on
sanitation, each with staggered start and end shift times. Maintenance personnel are onsite 24 hours a day,

 5 days per week. There are 330 employees at this plant, including 120 working on the fabrication floor
and 109 on the harvest floor. Security and medical services are provided via contract. An estimated 7-10
United States Department of Agriculture/ Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) staff are assigned
to this plant. Languages spoken by workers include Spanish (45-50%), Haitian Creole (30-35%), and
English (15-25%). The majority of the Spanish speaking workers are from Central America and the
Dominican Republic. Workers usually commute by personal vehicle, but some groups choose to carpool.
Average commuting times range from 30-45 minutes. This plant is not unionized.
During the site visit, the COO mentioned that they are almost back to full production and have staffed up
to 130% of employment capacity to mitigate production decline in case workers become ill. Plant
management implemented “natural cohorting” through their hiring practices by assigning workers who
live or commute together to the same shift and/or department. Our team observed the fabrication and
harvesting processes operating normally with no reduction in line speed. The harvesting area is where
animals are stunned, eviscerated, and processed into beef halves. The fabrication area processes the beef
carcasses into final products that are boxed for shipment. We observed areas outside of processing,
focusing on locations where workers might congregate, including the security building, building entry,
locker rooms, laundry drop off and pick up, cafeterias, smoking areas, and livestock delivery areas. We
discussed topics that include worker screening, contact tracing, communications, sick leave policies,
worker and supervisor training, managing workers who are determined to be symptomatic or exposed,
and the establishment of a working relationship with a local hospital.
The plant layout is designed so workers from the harvest and fabrication sides do not need to use the same
common areas, except for outdoor break tents designed for social distancing and smoking break areas.
There are separate locker rooms for harvest and fabrication workers.
Observations and Discussion
This report is not intended to document every observation and intervention that occurred at the plant. It is
a summary of the plant’s implementation of the CDC Interim Guidance: Meat and Poultry Processing
Workers and Employers: Interim Guidance from CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA). We observed that the plant implemented several recommendations prior to our
site visit. We discussed preliminary recommendations with plant managers while onsite to facilitate their
timely implementation. We also discussed the observations and recommendations with PADOH partners
prior to issuing this report.
Visitor Screening
Screening for visitors is conducted in a temporary trailer office external to the plant. Persons with a
temperature equal to or greater than 99.6 F (a more protective temperature threshold the company
decided to implement) are denied entry to the facility. Truck/delivery drivers are screened in a
separate office away from other visitors. The screening area allows for one-way entry and exit and
does not allow for congregating. There were some worn visual markers on the sidewalk leading to the
screening area to maintain social distancing. Upon arrival, visitors were required to sanitize hands prior
to completing a health screening questionnaire, signing the visitor log, and receiving a temperature
check prior to receiving a visitor safety vest and hard hat. The screening questions include: 1) Travel
outside of the country in the last 14 days; 2) COVID-19 symptoms; and 3) Close contact with a known
positive COVID-19 case. Body temperature is taken by the security guard using a hand-held, non-contact
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 thermometer pointed at the forehead. The guard wore a disposable facemask and nitrile gloves during all
screening efforts. The thermometer was not sanitized after use because it does not contact the person
undergoing the screening.
Worker Screening
The plant has a contracted medical service provider that is onsite from 5:00 am - 8:30 am and 2:30 pm 6:30 pm to perform temperature checks of workers at the start of each shift. There is no onsite medical
provider coverage for the overnight sanitation shift. The security guard conducts all screening when the
medical service provider is not onsite. Workers arrive at the plant by personal vehicle or carpool.
Company-sponsored transport is not offered. When workers arrive onsite, they walk down a long,
uncovered sidewalk to enter the screening area. According to management, the plant adheres to the State
of Pennsylvania guidelines of temperature screening and asking about symptoms before each shift. Since
the team was not onsite during shift change, we did not observe the worker temperature screening.
Reportedly, workers are temperature screened in the same building as visitors by a contracted medical
service. Workers with a temperature equal to or greater than 99.6F or experiencing symptoms are not
allowed to enter the plant. Instead, they are immediately instructed to contact their healthcare provider
(HCP) and request a SARs-Cov-2 test. The facility has a relationship with a local hospital to provide
emergency care. The plant does not have an onsite occupational health clinic. Workers receive disposable
facemasks if they don’t have a cloth face covering and are always required to wear them while on duty. If
a worker’s mask becomes soiled during a shift, they receive a replacement disposable facemask.
In the screening area, there are no posters or information posted about temperature screening or types of
questions asked during screening. Management has instituted a contact tracing process if a worker is
absent or tardy; a supervisor interviews the employee about travel, COVID-19 symptoms, and potential
exposure to COVID-19. If a worker reports that they traveled outside of the state, the supervisor
automatically puts them in a potential "exposed" category. This category requires the employees to have
three temperature checks (made during breaks) during their shift and one upon leaving the plant.
The plant does not currently have direct communication with local public health officials. When there is
a confirmed case in a worker, modified contact tracing is performed by the human resources (HR)
department, who also acts as the onsite COVID-19 coordinator. They determine close contacts at work,
carpooling occupants, and household members. Through this modified contact tracing, management can
identify potential exposure to others. Management initiated contact tracing when cases at the plant were
increasing as well as to investigate clusters. Through additional questions to absent COVID-19 positive
employees, the employer can identify additional cases and/or inter-household spread. Additionally,
management is actively monitoring case count by county of residence and work department. If case counts
increase, they reportedly have a plan to mitigate spread. We did not review this plan and it has not been
shared with PA DOH.
Occupational Health and Worker Benefits
If any worker is absent from work due to quarantine or COVID-19 symptoms, they are provided 80 hours
full pay. Management informed us that they do not require any formal documentation for workers to
receive this benefit, but they encourage workers to provide some type of documentation, if possible, for
their absence by their 14th day away from work. Management expressed frustration that requiring
documentation to return to work is difficult because physicians are not writing medical clearance notes
due to liability issues. The plant requires a negative COVID-19 test result and two days without a fever
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 before an employee can return to work. The 80-hour pay is extended to employees awaiting test results as
well as those on a 14-day quarantine.
Increasing Distance Between Workers During Work and Breaks
Adjustments to schedules have been implemented to further decrease the density of workers and promote
social distancing in the cafeteria during lunch and break times. The cafeteria tables are long with plexiglass
dividers extending up to 30” in height installed vertically in-between seats and down the center of the
table. Workers stored lunch boxes on the seats where they expected to sit. There were no visual markers
placed on the seats to indicate which seats workers should use to maximize social distancing. Management
acknowledged that the microwave ovens used to heat food are a congregation point during breaks because
they are clustered together and oriented in a fashion that did not support social distancing. During the visit
conducted by PDA on May 11, 2020, the site assessors recommended alternating seating. Alternated
seating was not observed during this visit. In fact, we observed some workers sitting next to each other
and leaning back beyond the partitions to converse while eating.
Additional outdoor tents equipped with 6-foot tables and four chairs each were set up to allow workers to
maintain social distancing and decrease the density of the workers in the cafeteria. Use of this area required
workers to heat their food in the cafeteria and walk outside the gate of the plant. There was no signage in
the tent area. An additional external seating and smoking area had plexiglass partitions and was observed
being cleaned between worker use. Management reported using “social distancing champions” who
perform some spot monitoring of social distancing, primarily during breaks.
In the harvesting area, workstations are approximately 6 feet apart. However, in the fabrication area,
workstations are less than 6 feet apart with no partitions due to lack of space and the need for workers to
be able to turn when cutting meat. Management expressed that there is no feasible way to modify the
fabrication production line or install partitions.
This facility is currently hiring. We observed the orientation room which has a reduced number of seats
to promote social distancing measures. There is a PowerPoint presentation to inform new employees how
to protect themselves from COVID-19 while at and outside of work. This presentation includes
information about carpooling, using cloth face coverings and disposable facemasks, avoiding large
gatherings, and social distancing. It was unclear if this training is also extended to all current employees
on an ongoing basis. All managers are instructed to monitor social distancing and cloth face
covering/disposable facemask compliance among employees.
Supplementary Infection Control Measures
Pump-top hand sanitizer dispensers were present throughout the plant. Hand sanitizer stations are present
in high-touch areas and at the ends of hallways and stairwells. Newly installed portable no-touch
handwashing stations were placed adjacent to the temporary tents. We observed minimal use of the newly
installed handwashing stations during an approximately 3-hour period when we were meeting in one of
the adjacent tents.
There are additional cleaning staff who sanitize commonly touched surfaces five times per day. Items
cleaned include: handrails, doors and door handles, lockers, and lunch tables, using a bleach mixture (1/3
cup of 11% sodium hypochlorite in 2 gallons of water) or quaternary ammonium compound (800 –1600
ppm). Manufacturer recommended contact times were followed. The plant also uses slow release chlorine
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 dioxide gas throughout the plant to sanitize areas. We observed cleaning and wiping of outside break
tables and the cafeteria with a chlorine solution.
Use of Face shields and Face Coverings
During our visit, we observed most workers wearing their cloth face covering or disposable facemask
correctly. However, we observed several employees improperly wearing their facemasks (e.g., mask
pulled down below the nose). We observed most workers leaving for break with a disposable facemask.
Some employees were observed in the parking lot removing their mask and congregating in the same van
without masks during breaks. Face shields mounted on hard hats are provided to workers in positions
where social distancing or the installation of partitions is not feasible. Some employees opted to wear
safety glasses instead of a face shield. Workers are trained on proper donning and doffing of all PPE. All
workers wear a cotton long-sleeved overcoat that extends to the knees. These coats are collected and
laundered daily by an offsite laundry contractor.
Educating Workers on COVID-19 Risks, Prevention, and Company Policies
Informational flyers with pictures representing COVID-19 symptoms, social distancing, and hand hygiene
were placed on walls and/or displayed on television monitors in common areas of the plant. Most signage
was well-organized on the walls. There are no visual markers installed on the floor every 6 feet in areas
of the plant (e.g., plant entrance, cafeteria walkways) to maintain social distancing. There were
opportunities for more signage in some common areas, such as locker rooms or the cafeteria. There also
were opportunities for increased messaging on the television monitors in the cafeteria in multiple
languages. Signage posted in the cafeteria contained informational material with pictures representing
COVID-19 symptoms, social distancing, and hand hygiene in English and Spanish, along with additional
CDC and OSHA guidance. Haitian Creole signage was not displayed. Additionally, the HR department
routinely posts the date of confirmed COVID-19 cases within the facility and also the number of positive
COVID-19 cases in the county where the employee resides. Management indicated that posting
information on television monitors and walls is the primary way that they communicate with workers.
Conclusion
The company has implemented many controls at the plant to help reduce and mitigate the spread of SARSCoV-2 among workers while in the plant. In addition, implementation of several additional controls is in
progress. Additional recommendations are provided below to help management, workers, PA DOH, and
strategic community partners potentially limit virus transmission among workers in the plant. The
company should consult with USDA/FSIS staff at the plant to determine if proposed controls are
acceptable with regards to food safety and sanitation.
Recommendations
The following actions are recommended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 between workers. With
ongoing community transmission, COVID-19 cases among staff may continue. However, a combination
of control measures with ongoing education and training could help reduce transmission in the workplace.
Interim recommendations for meat and poultry processing industries are available (CDC Interim Guidance
Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers) and should be considered in developing or refining
plant COVID-19 response plans. The recommendations in this report are specific to the Nicholas Meats,
LLC beef processing plant. Plant management, PA DOH, and community partners should continue to
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 work together to implement recommendations and plans at the facility and among its workers to further
reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Hierarchy of Controls
The following recommendations should be implemented according to the hierarchy of controls. Hierarchy
of controls is an approach to hazard intervention which ranks the controls perceived to be most effective
first, followed by those considered least effective. In most cases, the preferred approach is to eliminate a
hazard or exposures, install engineering controls, and implement appropriate sanitation and cleaning to
reduce worker exposure. Until such controls are in place, or if they are not adequately effective or feasible,
administrative measures, personal protective equipment (PPE), and source controls may be needed.
Entry Screening
Screening workers for COVID-19 symptoms is a strategy to help ensure that symptomatic workers or
visitors do not enter the facility. Screening policies and procedures should be developed in consultation
with state and local health officials and occupational medicine professionals. Actions to improve existing
screening policies and processes include:
1. Consider modifying the plexiglass barrier inside the screening trailer office so that only papers or
other flat objects can be passed through.
2. Consider placing visual markers on the floor of the screening trailer office and across common areas
to clearly indicate where workers should stand to maintain social distance (6 feet).
3. Consider posting large pictograms in the screening area to increase effectiveness of non-verbal
communication if language or literacy challenges exist.
Contact Tracing
Contact tracing is important for identifying workers who have been exposed to a person with COVID-19,
so they can be excluded from the workplace and monitored for symptom onset. Policies and procedures
for contact tracing should be developed in consultation with state and local health officials. Engage or
consult with the state and local health department to appropriately trace or follow cases in your facility to
inform exclusion criteria. Management mentioned the possibility of hiring a nurse to be onsite to initiate
contact tracing, serve as a liaison between the plant and the health department, and provide support with
other COVID-19-related activities such as health education and health communication. Actions to
improve existing policies and procedures include:
1. Continue to conduct a contact investigation for each COVID-19 case by identifying close contacts
of the case while at work during the time the worker had symptoms and 2 days prior to symptom
onset, as defined by the CDC Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical
Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with suspected or Confirmed
COVID-19. These might include co-workers who work in the same area of the plant, take breaks
together, ride to work together, or live in the same household.
2. Workers determined to be a close contact of a confirmed case may be permitted to continue
working, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions such as increased
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 temperature and symptom checks are performed for 14 days after last exposure. 3.
employee develops symptoms during the day, they should be sent home immediately.

If any

4. Consider posting or sharing the cumulative number of cases within the facility by date with
workers to increase transparency and awareness among workers.
5. Work with state and local public health authorities to determine the appropriate role of workplace
contact tracing following CDC guidance.
Social Distancing
In addition to everyday steps to prevent COVID-19, keeping space between individuals (social
distancing) is one of the best strategies to avoid being exposed to the virus and slowing its spread. In
addition to work areas, social distancing should be emphasized in all areas where workers congregate,
such as break rooms, parking lots, hallways and corridors, entrance/exit areas, and locker rooms.
Barriers are one method to physically separate workers in areas of the plant where social distancing is
not possible. Physical barriers should not be used as a replacement for social distancing and should only
be used when distancing is not possible, due to work design or task to be completed (e.g., two people
needing to work together on a single carcass or trimming tasks that need to be done next to one another).
Consider the following actions to improve the existing social distancing procedures in common areas:
1. Continue employing “social distancing champions” to reinforce proper social distancing and
disposable facemask use in parking lots, throughout screening, in hallways, locker rooms, cafeteria
and break areas, and any other spaces in your plant where workers congregate. This is especially
important in areas like the locker rooms where social distancing is harder given the physical space.
2. Empower workers to provide corrective guidance to other workers about improper social
distancing and cloth face covering and disposable facemask use.
3. Add more visual cues at 6-foot intervals (e.g., floor markings, wall markings, signs, traffic cones)
in the building entries, screening areas, cafeterias, locker rooms, and other areas where lines or
groups may form.
4. Increase the distance between seating stations in the cafeterias. Block off some seats at tables to
facilitate more space between workers while eating lunch. We observed workers sitting next to
each other and leaning back beyond the partitions to speak to each other while eating and also
talking to one another without disposable facemasks. It might be necessary to use the social
distancing champions to remind workers during lunch to adhere to the social distancing
recommendations.
5. Consider conducting training online, by video, or using other methods to assure social distancing
is maintained between workers while receiving annual and ad hoc training and initial orientations.
6. Consider developing and implementing a procedure for sanitizing and disinfecting face shields
instead of relying on employees to do it. Also, do not allow employees to take face shields home.
Instead, create a clean storage area for properly disinfected face shields.
7. Consider the following actions to improve the existing social distancing procedures in production
areas:
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 a. Continue staggering shifts, start times, and break times as much as feasible to decrease the
number of workers in locker rooms, break areas, and cafeterias at one time. If feasible,
strictly prescribe the time that the next shift can come into the plant so that these workers
are not congregating in the locker rooms and cafeteria for long periods of time before their
shifts start.
b. Install additional touchless clock in/out stations to reduce crowding and congregating at
these areas.
Face coverings (cloth face coverings and disposable facemasks)
Source control is a term used to describe measures intended to prevent infected individuals from spreading
disease. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 may be spread by workers who are not showing symptoms or
asymptomatic individuals prior to being diagnosed. In the context of this COVID-19 pandemic, source
control refers to the practice of wearing a mask to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus. Cloth
face coverings or disposable facemasks are generally recommended as an addition to social distancing for
source control as they help keep the person wearing the cloth face covering or disposable mask from
spreading respiratory droplets when talking, sneezing, or coughing. Cloth face coverings and disposable
facemasks are meant to protect other people in case workers are infected but not symptomatic. Face shields
also can serve as a second level of source control when worn with cloth face coverings and disposable
facemasks. Consider the following actions to improve source control:
1. Continue to enforce your policy of requiring either cloth face coverings or issuing disposable
facemasks to all workers and visitors. Continue to ensure cloth face covering use meets CDC
guidelines.
a. Cloth face coverings and disposable facemasks should allow for breathing without
restriction, not be touched after putting on to prevent transferring infected materials
and be discarded and replaced when dirty or wet.
b. Have replacement cloth face coverings and disposable facemasks available in case a
worker’s cloth face covering or disposable facemask becomes wet or soiled. This will
be important in areas where the work is wet, dirty, or hot.
c. Educate workers to avoid touching their faces, including their eyes, noses, and mouths,
particularly until after they have thoroughly washed their hands upon completing work
and/or removing PPE. This includes adjusting their cloth face coverings or disposable
facemasks once they have been donned.
d. Instruct workers to talk with their supervisor if their cloth face covering or disposable
facemask needs to be adjusted frequently or if it interferes with their job-specific PPE.
Supervisors should work to address these issues.
2. Continue reinforcing proper cloth face covering and disposable facemask use and social distancing
in parking lots, throughout screening, in hallways, locker rooms, cafeteria and break areas, and
any other spaces in your plant where workers congregate.
3. Continue requiring all workers and visitors to wear disposable facemasks properly covering their
nose and mouth in all areas of the plant (including break areas and locker rooms, except when
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 removing briefly to eat or drink).
4. Continue with the plan that all workers wear a disposable facemask and a face shield anytime they
are at work, if their job task prevents the use of barriers. The face shield is being used in this plant
to supplement the use of the disposable facemasks, not to replace them.
a. Consider developing a facility-managed process for decontaminating face shields during
and after each shift.
5. Continue to train management and supervisors to educate and encourage workers to follow these
guidelines.
6. Distribute disposable facemasks in a contactless manner while allowing for control of the number
of disposable facemasks distributed. For example, consider placing disposable facemasks on a
table and having workers step forward one at a time while another worker oversees the process.
a. The worker distributing disposable facemasks should follow appropriate social distancing
and wear appropriate PPE (gloves) and a cloth face covering or disposable facemask.
7. Work with USDA/FSIS partners to communicate any new COVID-19 policies and practices being
rolled out in the plant.
8. Face shields are not acceptable substitutions for eye protection (such as safety glasses) that are
used for impact protection. If needed and feasible, face shields should be used in addition to the
eye protection, not as a replacement for jobs requiring eye protection, as identified by the plant’s
OSHA PPE hazard assessment (29 CFR 1910.132).
Hand Hygiene and Sanitation
Hand hygiene and sanitation (infection prevention and control) are important tools to avoid being
exposed to the virus and slowing its spread. Follow and frequently monitor the CDC recommendations
for cleaning and disinfection during the COVID-19 response for updates. Cleaning and disinfection of
surfaces and objects that are frequently touched, especially in common areas, several times per day is an
important component to control the spread of COVID-19. Consider the following actions to improve
hand hygiene and sanitation:
1. Monitor and encourage employees to use external handwashing and sanitizing stations if they
choose to take their break(s) outside.
2. Continue to conduct targeted and more frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces.
3. Develop and implement a protocol for sanitizing hard hats and face shields used by workers and
visitors.
Training and Communication
When developing training and communication materials, the plant should use current, correct messaging
from a trusted source. Training should be reinforced using signage (preferably infographics or simple
signs with a single, clear message) placed in strategic locations. Graphics and suggested messages are
available from CDC for use on social media profiles and web pages. Print resources and communication
guidance also are available from CDC and are available in multiple languages. Videos are also available
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 for use. Use definitions and examples to explain technical terminology and concepts used in training or
communications to help improve understanding.
CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID- 19 also
provides a thorough list of topics for educating workers about how they can reduce the spread of
COVID-19. Consider the following actions to improve your training and communication efforts:
1. Continue to provide COVID-19 informational signage throughout the plant.
2. Add additional signage in cafeterias, locker rooms, break areas, cattle gatehouse, and other areas
where workers might congregate to remind workers about hand hygiene, social distancing, and
cloth face covering and disposable facemask use in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Haitian
Creole).
3. Enlarge and simplify COVID-19 signage.
4. Remove outdated signage as much as possible. “Refreshing” messages by putting up new signs
(even if they have a similar message) helps make the signs stand out to workers.
5. Do not post signs in spaces that are already congested with other signs or postings, as they are hard
to pick out in these settings.
6. Use more pictures/pictograms to increase the percentage of the workforce that engages with signs
and messaging.
7. Ensure signage is at eye level and can be easily seen by the workers. Consider hanging signs from
the ceiling so that workers do not have to look to the side to see all messaging.
8. Install additional video monitors for displaying messaging to workers throughout the day. Simple,
eye catching messages that refresh frequently can be a simple way to provide information to more
workers. As with signs, use pictures/pictograms and many languages to increase the percentage of
the workforce that engages with this messaging. Consider developing videos in multiple languages
using plant workers who speak those languages.
9. Consider alternative sources of information for communicating with your workers. You can send
hyperlinks along with your messages to provide additional COVID-19 information.
10. Explore alternate means of group communication used by workers, such as Viber and WhatsApp.
Engage with workers and community organizations to understand which apps and methods are
most used by plant workers.
11. Increase the number of signs, ensuring use of multiple languages, regarding proper hand hygiene
near hand washing stations.
12. Consider developing closed (private) worker-only Facebook or other social media pages and invite
workers to follow the page. Post guidance and information on the page in a variety of languages
to ensure maximum reach.
13. Develop or provide existing training and messaging (in multiple languages) for social distancing,
hand hygiene, donning and doffing, cough and sneeze etiquette (even when wearing cloth face
coverings or disposable facemasks), and sanitizing PPE and source controls, and messaging about
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 what to do if you are sick. If workers carpool, consider training in multiple languages on the risks
related to carpooling and how to mitigate them.
14. Consider alternatives to traditional in-person trainings for delivery of this information (e.g., videos,
phone applications).
a. Develop a method to verify worker understanding and participation.
b. Partner with community organizations and the local health department to distribute
messaging to workers.
15. Provide training to workers, supervisors, and management whenever changes are implemented in
the workplace. Refresher trainings should be provided on a regular basis.
Updated information and Guidance
Check back frequently on the CDC COVID-19 webpage for updated information and guidance on
preventing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19 among your workers while they are at work. The
company should consult with USDA/FSIS and PDA to determine if proposed controls are acceptable with
regards to food safety and sanitation. Continue communicating and working with PA DOH and strategic
community partners.
End of Memo

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