CS 316346-H 04/23/2020

What Airline Workers Need to Know about COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a 

respiratory illness caused by a virus called

SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms often include a 

fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Our 

understanding of how the virus spreads 

is evolving as we learn more about it, so 

check the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/howcovid-spreads.html) for the latest information.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from

person-to-person:

Between people who are in close contact

with one another (within about 6 feet).

Through respiratory droplets produced

when an infected person coughs, sneezes,

or talks.

Recent studies indicate that the virus can be spread by 

people before they develop symptoms (pre-symptomatic) 

or who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic). It 

also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by 

touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and 

then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their 

eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the 

virus spreads. Older adults and people of any age who have 

serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher 

risk for more serious complications (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-athigher-risk.html) from COVID-19.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings (https://

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/

diy-cloth-face-coverings.html) in public settings where 

other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, 

especially in areas of significant community-based 

transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people 

who don’t know they have the virus from transmitting it 

to others. These face coverings are not surgical masks or 

respirators and are not appropriate substitutes for them in 

workplaces where masks or respirators are recommended 

or required.

cdc.gov/coronavirus

AIRLINE CATERING KITCHEN WORKERS

6 ft

As an airline catering kitchen worker, how can I 

protect myself?

As an airline catering kitchen worker, you could be 

exposed to COVID-19 in situations such as having close 

contact with someone with COVID-19 or touching 

your mouth, nose, or eyes after handling frequently 

touched items used by someone with COVID-19 such 

as catering or food service carts or solid waste.

• Limit close contact with others by maintaining a 

distance of at least 6 feet, when possible.

• Follow your employer’s normal guidance for 

handling solid waste from both domestic and 

international flights.

• Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of 

frequently touched surfaces, such as desks, 

door handles and knobs, phones, keyboards, 

countertops, and cart and carrier handles. Follow 

the directions on the cleaning product’s label.

• Wear your normally required personal protective 

equipment (PPE) to perform job tasks.

• Use gloves when handling non-disposable food 

service items such as cups, utensils and serving 

trays prior to washing as usual.

• Proper hand hygiene (https://www.cdc.gov/

handwashing/index.html) is an important infection 

control measure. Wash your hands regularly with 

soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcoholbased hand sanitizer containing at least 60% 

alcohol can be used, but not as a substitute for 

cleaning hands with soap and water.

• Key times to clean hands in general include: 

» Before, during, and after preparing food

» Before eating food

» After using the toilet

» After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing 

• Additional times to clean hands on the job include: 

» Before and after work shifts

» Before and after work breaks 

» After handling frequently touched items, such 

as food service carts

Accessible version: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/airline-catering-kitchen-workers.html
cdc.gov/coronavirus

As an airline catering kitchen worker, how can I 

protect myself? (continued)

» After handling food waste and non-disposable 

food service items

» After touching dirty surfaces like floors, walls and 

soiled carriers and equipment

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

What steps should my employer take?

Employers of airline catering kitchen workers should have 

a COVID-19 health and safety plan to protect employees. 

This plan should be shared with you and your coworkers. 

Your employer should:

• Take steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 

if an employee is sick (https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-whensick.html). Actively encourage sick employees to stay 

home. Sick employees should not return to work until 

the criteria to discontinue home isolation are met 

(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/

disposition-in-home-patients.html), in consultation 

with healthcare providers and state and local health 

departments. 

• Provide information on whom to contact if employees 

become sick.

• Implement flexible sick leave and supportive policies 

and practices. Consider drafting non-punitive 

emergency sick leave policies if sick leave is not 

offered to some or all employees.

• Designate a person who is responsible for responding 

to COVID-19 concerns. Employees should know who 

this person is and how to contact them.

• Provide employees with accurate information about 

COVID-19, its symptoms, how it spreads, and risk

of exposure.

• Provide training on proper hand washing (https://

www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html) practices 

and other routine infection control precautions. 

This will help prevent the spread of many diseases, 

including COVID-19.

• Provide employees with appropriate personal 

protective equipment (PPE) when necessary and 

providing training on using the PPE.

• Provide employees with access to soap, clean running 

water, and drying materials, or alcohol-based hand 

sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol at

their worksite.

• Provide disposable disinfecting wipes so that 

commonly touched surfaces such as desks, door 

handles and knobs, phones, keyboards, countertops, 

and cart and carrier handles can be wiped down by 

employees. Use products to disinfect that meet EPA’s 

criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2 (https://www.epa.

gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-useagainst-sars-cov-2). Follow instructions on the label 

to ensure safe and effective use of the product. For 

food contact surfaces, follow cleaning and sanitizing 

practices according to the FDA 2017 Food Code.

• Provide tissues and no-touch disposal containers

for employees.

• Frequently clean employee break rooms, employee 

lockers, rest areas, and other common areas.

• Place posters that encourage staying home when 

sick (https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceuticalinterventions/tools-resources/educational-materials.

html), covering coughs and sneezes (https://www.

cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_

sneezing.html) and washing hands often (https://

www.cdc.gov/handwashing/materials.html) at the 

entrance to the workplace and in other workplace 

areas where employees are likely to see them.

• Follow food safety regulations related to COVID-19.

• Follow all applicable federal worker safety and health 

regulations and public health agency guidelines.

Where can I get more information?

Stay informed. Talk to your employer, supervisor, union 

representative, or airport personnel who are responsible 

for responding to COVID-19 concerns. See these sources 

for more information on reducing the risk of worker 

exposures to COVID-19:

CDC Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers 

to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 

2019 (COVID-19) website: https://www.cdc.gov/

coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-businessresponse.html

NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic website:

www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/2019_ncov.html

CDC COVID-19 website:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

OSHA COVID-19 website: www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

controlprevention.html

OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces website: 

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf 

FDA Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 

(COVID-19): https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safetyduring-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirusdisease-2019-covid-19

CDCINFO: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) |

TTY: 1-888-232-6348 | website: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/

dcs/ContactUs/Form