Sample Emergency Policies and Procedures

This policy and procedure template is not guidance nor legal advice provided by the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center or the Administration for Community Living.

<Name of Agency>

# ****Nutrition ServicesEmergencyPolicies and Procedures

< Additional agency information>

<Date created/last updated><Agency disclaimer, if applicable>

Table of ContentsA.	Safety Practices	2B.	General Safety	3C.	Emergency Plans	4D.	Reporting Incidents	4E.	Suspected Foodborne Illness	5F.	Food Tampering	5G.	Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear Threat	6H.	Illness Outbreak	6I.	Fire Safety	6J.	First Aid Training	7K.	Weather-Related Emergencies or Unforeseen Events	7L.	Loss of Power/Refrigeration	9M.	Water Supply Interruptions or Water Contamination	10N.	Sewage Back-up	10O.	Floods	11P.	Food Preparation Equipment Breakdown	12Q.	Failure of Delivery/Nutrition Personnel to Report to Work	13R.	Food Delivery Failures/Insufficiencies	13S.	Emergency Fund Food Purchases	14

# Safety Practices

Employees and volunteers must observe sound safety practices to ensure procedures are in place for summoning emergency help, reporting incidents, aiding in accident prevention, and providing a safe environment for participants.

The <appropriate staff> is responsible for ensuring employees and volunteers observe sound safety practices.

Develop and implement written procedures for the continuation of services in various emergency situations. The <city or county> plan addresses how services will be continued in an emergency.

# General Safety

The <appropriate staff> shall ensure procedures are in place for the general safety of participants, employees, and volunteers.

Any food item that needs to be heated or refrigerated can be potentially hazardous and should not be passed around the dining site.

Aisles in the dining areas and in food production areas shall be free of obstructions to prevent accidents.

Any spills in the dining areas or food production areas shall be cleaned up immediately to prevent falls.

For temporary hazards such as wet floors, portable hazard signs must be used.

All staff and volunteers assisting in the kitchen must wear closed-toe shoes.

There is an eyewash station available in the kitchen at each center for emergency purposes.

Required Material Safety Datasheets will hang in the kitchen area for any chemicals (bleach, probe wipes, etc.).

Animals are not allowed where food is prepared, served, stored, or where tableware (plates, utensils, etc.) or glassware (drinking glasses, coffee mugs, etc.) are washed and stored. The only exception to this policy is when a service animal is required to assist staff with disabilities.

Non-nutrition staff should not enter the kitchen and should come to the serving area to request items when needing something from the kitchen.

Non-nutrition staff or volunteers will not eat or gather in the kitchen, nor use kitchen equipment for issues not related to nutrition program purposes.

Volunteers and staff should only be in the kitchen area if picking up meals, assisting with nutrition duties, or cleaning or performing work orders after meals have been served. <Appropriate staff> may be in the kitchen to observe or instruct the nutrition staff.

Disaster drills (tornado and fire drills), basic food safety training, and use of eyewash station training shall be held at least annually.

Persons using oxygen should be at least 6 feet away from any source of fire, such as a stove, kiln, or fireplace. An employee and/or volunteer using oxygen should not be in the kitchen while the stove/stovetop is in use. Oxygen should be kept away from the stovetop and oven. Employees with oxygen should not cook or turn on stove while using oxygen therapy.

Keep any liquids, including cleaning products that may catch fire (grease, oil, alcohol), away from the oxygen source.

# Emergency Plans

Written plans are developed that include procedures for reporting and handling fires, disasters, vandalism, break-ins, and participant emergencies at dining sites. Follow <city or county> policy on reporting incidents, as well as any relevant safety manuals for these emergencies.

The dining site shall be equipped with adequate emergency first aid supplies and equipment.

The following shall be posted throughout the facility:

Telephone numbers for the, fire department, police, ambulance, hospital emergency room, local emergency management offices, and the Center address. It is strongly recommended that these be located by each phone.

Steps to be taken in each type of emergency.

Location of first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and other emergency supplies.

Evacuation routes.

# Reporting Incidents

An incident is an unusual event, such as illness, injury, chemical exposure, near-miss, or accident, which may or may not have caused injuries to a person or damage to a dining site.

When an incident occurs involving staff, volunteers, visitors, or participants, a report shall immediately be written providing as many details of the incident as possible (possible cause, injuries noted, property damage, etc.).

Even if there is no injury or property damage, an incident report should be filed.

If there is injury or property damage, or if 911 is called, an incident report should be filed. <List required reports; varies>

The report shall include the outcome, if known, as well as a detailed description of what took place.

An email shall be sent to the <appropriate staff> with a copy to the <appropriate staff>. Reports are completed and submitted to the <appropriate staff> for review and processing.

No matter how minor it may seem, all incidents must be reported and documented on the appropriate incident report form and processed as indicated above.

The <agency> maintains a file on all incidents reported. Incident reports are retained for <number> years.

# Suspected Foodborne Illness

When notified of product recalls, the <appropriate staff> will:

Keep product recalls on file.

Contact the caterer to see if that food product was used and determine date(s) of service.

Pull the roster of attendees of the congregate meal program and recipients of home-delivered meals of suspected day.

Send a letter notifying participants of potential foodborne illness.

Contact the health department with any claims of illness.

When two or more people report symptoms after eating the same food:

<Appropriate staff> will contact the health department about a suspected foodborne illness.

Anticipate and fully accommodate an investigation by state and local health authorities.

The <appropriate staff> will pull lists of those in congregate meal attendance and home-delivered meal recipients for the relevant day and contact participants via a letter.

# Food Tampering

Credible threats of food tampering must be taken seriously. Notify the <local law enforcement agency> and the health department.

Record the name of the person, date/time, what was observed, the content of the threat, and the product impacted.

If unsure of tampering, close the facility.

# Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear Threat

Should one of these threats be realized that impacts the nutrition program, contact the <appropriate staff> immediately. The <appropriate staff> will contact health officials for official procedure.

# Illness Outbreak

Enforce hand washing and use of gloves.

Adhere to proper Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) practices.

Follow all applicable local, state, and federal guidelines relevant to the outbreak.

Recommend employees not report to work if they are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat, and/or fever.

If an employee, participant, or volunteer who has handled food reports ill with vomiting or diarrhea:

Record their symptoms.

Send the employee home.

Discard any food they prepared.

Clean and disinfect the areas they came in contact with.

Record the name, date/time, symptoms, and food served.

The ill food handler should notify the <appropriate staff>, who will notify the <appropriate parties>. 

Notify the health department. The health department will collect food samples from the dining site and contact the ill food handler to collect any required samples.

Employees and management will be issued a questionnaire by the health department and complete a site inspection.

There may be a summary suspension of license and a final report and recommendations.

If an employee or participant vomits or has diarrhea near food preparation or serving area:

 All food in the area of the incident (25-foot radius) must be discarded.

All equipment and utensils in the area must be cleaned and then sanitized.

Employees must follow written procedures for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea on surfaces in or around the food prep area. A clean-up kit with personal protective equipment to avoid the spread of contamination and exposure to employees, participants, and food is essential.

# Fire Safety

The <appropriate staff> shall ensure all fire safety codes are enforced.

Employees and volunteers shall be trained in fire safety and how to use fire extinguishers and have a plan for what to do in a fire.

Fire exits shall be clearly marked, free of obstructions, and continue to stay lit during power outages.

Storage areas should not block sprinkler access. Shelves that are not along the walls should leave 18” from ceiling to allow sprinkler systems to access the area.

<Appropriate staff> shall ensure a fire inspection has been completed as often as required by local and state officials and at least annually to ensure the safety of the facility.

Appropriate fire extinguishers shall be placed in plain view and easily accessible. Extinguishers must be inspected and replaced after use.

Fire drills shall be held according to local and state requirements and at least annually. A list of essential telephone numbers shall be kept (such as health department, fire marshal, and utility companies).

The <appropriate staff> shall document all fire drills and fire inspections. Documentation shall be kept on file for <number> years.

In case of a fire, determine the scope of the fire.

For a major fire, close the facility.

For a minor fire, seek health department approval prior to resuming operations.

Follow proper emergency actions and recovery procedures for damaged products and conduct necessary repairs.

For recovery:

Food, utensils, wrappers, and paper products in the area of the fire must be discarded.

Dairy products must be discarded.

If the refrigerator has interior intakes, the food must be discarded.

Products in cans that are not damaged by heat must be approved by the health department.

Clean and sanitize all surfaces.

Submit work order to complete any repairs and to have fire extinguishers checked.

Submit a purchase order to get the hood system cleaned.

Prior to reopening the building, the <appropriate staff> must contact the fire marshal, building inspector, and health department.

# First Aid Training

First aid training shall be provided to employees and volunteers.

Information shall be provided on general first aid, choking procedures, CPR, and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED).

A poster illustrating choking procedures shall be posted in the dining area at each dining site.

# Weather-Related Emergencies or Unforeseen Events

Congregate Meals

Follow <overseeing agency> policy on emergency closing of dining sites for weather-related incidents or other unforeseen events.

A copy of the emergency “cancellation of meal/closing of dining site” policy shall be posted at each dining site.

The agreement with the catering service is that meals are not delivered when the public school system is closed due to inclement weather. In some cases, while the public school system is closed, the dining site may be open, but the agreement stipulates no bulk provided on those days. The <agency> will make every effort to have a limited number of staff-prepared meals available for the congregate program.

The <appropriate staff> will create a purchase order in the fall to keep staple foods in the pantry for snow days. At the threat of bad weather, the <appropriate staff> will contact the site in advance to determine if there are enough items in the pantry to feed the anticipated number of participants.

Site pantries will be stocked and restocked with shelf-stable food every September and throughout the winter months as needed. Staff should perform bi-monthly inventory checks to ensure food expiration dates are valid and the integrity of the packaging is intact. All items should be dated and rotated using First-In, First-Out procedure.

The <appropriate staff> will notify <appropriate staff> of their anticipated snow-day meal. These meals are not intended to meet nutrition guidelines but should be as nutritious as feasible and approved by a registered dietitian (RD) when possible.

Meals that do not meet nutritional guidelines or are not approved by the RD cannot be counted as Title III-C meals.

Serve shelf-stable items. Example meals are canned soup, tuna or chicken sandwich, pasta, and fruit or vegetables. If the shelf-stable meals meet the nutrition guidelines, they can be counted as SNP-eligible meals.

<Appropriate staff> should contact participants on the registration list to determine if they plan to attend.

<Appropriate staff> shall abide by the snow day attendance list and waitlist. Any new people who come into the dining site will be added to the waitlist.

Donations will be encouraged and collected in the same fashion as a regular meal program. Monies shall be turned in to <appropriate staff> for deposit into the nutrition line item.

Home-Delivered Meals

Home-delivered meal clients will be provided with a box of shelf-stable meals at the time of enrollment and throughout the year to be used during unanticipated situations causing non-delivery of meals. Each box of meals contains five meals that meet the required nutrition standards and directions for use. Since these meals meet the required nutrition standards, they can be counted as SNP-eligible meals.

# Loss of Power/Refrigeration

The loss of power/refrigeration for long periods jeopardizes the safety of food.

If a center has a power outage, the <appropriate staff> should immediately contact the <appropriate parties>.

Hot food and cold food will be served at a safe temperature. The <appropriate staff> will decide on a course of action based on the severity of the outage and available information and resources. Every effort will be made to feed participants, but only if it can be done safely.

For recovery: 

Cold food found greater than 41°F for four or more hours must be discarded. If it has been less than four hours, lower the temperature immediately. 

Hot food below 135°F for more than two hours will be discarded; if it has been less than two hours, heat it up to 165°F for at least 15 minutes. 

Frozen food that has defrosted will be discarded.

To minimize spoilage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened.

Record refrigerator temperatures every two hours from reading on door. Do not open the refrigerator.

A full freezer will hold temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

When the power comes back on, take the temperature of the food in the refrigerator.

If the power outage lasts more than four hours, the dining site may be closed, and staff may be moved to another location.

If the power outage occurs when the center is closed, contact the <appropriate staff>, and the power company will be contacted to find out how long the power was out.

If an impending emergency is known ahead, have an emergency menu in place. Use the shelf-stable food in the pantry to prepare meals.

When power is restored, clean and sanitize all surfaces, including refrigerator and freezer. Check the refrigerator and freezer temperatures prior to restocking the unit.

The <appropriate staff> should contact maintenance to reset any circuit breakers.

# Water Supply Interruptions or Water Contamination

In case of a water supply interruption or water contamination, note the time of water loss.

Make a note of what is impacted by the water situation.

Notify the <appropriate staff> who will notify the <appropriate parties>, including the health department.

The facility may need to be closed due to the impact on hand washing, food preparation, surface sanitizing, restrooms, and ice machines.

Cover all water fountains to keep participants from drinking the water.

Have procedures available for boil water advisories.

Obtain bottled water for drinking and food preparation.

For recovery:

Flush the pipes for five minutes using running water.

Clean and sanitize the service lines.

Flush the drinking fountains and beverage machines.

Discard ice and clean and sanitize the ice machine.

For water contamination, drain hot water heater and change filters on beverage and ice units.

# Sewage Back-up

Barricade off impacted areas to limit the spread.

If there is a sewage backup, develop a list of equipment requiring drainage.

Notify the <appropriate staff> who will notify the <appropriate parties>, including the health department.

Develop a clean-up plan that complies with the agency’s infection control policy.

Remove impacted equipment and discard equipment that can’t be cleaned and sanitized.

For recovery:

Replace damaged plumbing.

Clean and sanitize all surfaces.

Following OSHA, implement PPE – goggles, gloves, rubber boots, and protective clothing.

Discard impacted tableware, glassware, and food.

Launder or discard mop heads.

# Floods

If there is flooding, the employee should notify the <appropriate staff>, who will notify the <appropriate parties>, including the health department.

Determine what has water damage. Contact local water utilities and the health department to find out if drinking water has been impacted. Notify the <appropriate staff> whether the drinking water has been impacted.

Remember that flood water may contain human waste, dead animals, and other contaminants.

For recovery:

Exposed foods, cardboard boxes, and paper products contaminated by flood water cannot be salvaged.

Foods and beverages in capped tops can be salvaged if not sitting in water.

Cans that have physically been relocated by the flood water need to be discarded even if they look fine.

Cans without original labels are to be discarded, but cans with labels that have not been relocated can be saved. Remove the label and use a sharpie to label the can. This indicates to the health department that this product was in a flood situation (you must have health department approval).

Sort items that are salvageable from items to discard for the health department’s approval.

Protective equipment should be available for employees as needed.

The <appropriate staff> will clean and sanitize all surfaces.

The <appropriate staff> will remove all damaged equipment and notify the <appropriate staff> of what was removed.

Submit a work order to have all equipment serviced.

The custodial staff will disinfect floors and surfaces with at least 500 ppm of chlorine.

The <appropriate staff> will complete a work order to have maintenance address all structural defects.

Contact maintenance to pick up mop heads for laundry.

Once all cleaning and structural damage have been corrected, the health department must make a final inspection prior to services resuming on site.

# Food Preparation Equipment Breakdown

To keep food out of the food safety danger zone (41-135°F), hot food is required to either be placed on the steam table (if 135°F or above) or reheated in the oven (if below 135°F). If the oven or steam table breaks down, staff should immediately notify the <appropriate staff>.

Equipment should be tested in the mornings prior to food arriving.

Food thermometers should be calibrated routinely based on manufacturer recommendations.

Refrigerator and freezer temperatures should be checked to ensure they are held at the proper temperature. (40°F or below for refrigerators and 0°F or below for freezers).

Staff should refer to the steam table guidebook located at each center to test a steam table if it appears not to be working.

The oven should be set on low heat, below 200°F, and checked that it is warming.

If the steam table is not working, food shall be kept in the oven to keep warm.

Place the oven on low heat, below 200°F, or on a warm setting.

Place a shallow pan of warm water on the lowest oven shelf.

Cover the food with foil to retain moisture and heat.

Place the food pan on the shelf above the water-filled pan.

Check food every 30 minutes to ensure the temperature remains at or above 135°F and to prevent drying or burning.

If the steam table is out of order for an extended period, <appropriate staff> will send a portable steam table to the site until the steam table is repaired or replaced.

If the <appropriate staff> is notified that the oven is broken prior to meal delivery, food will be handled as follows:

If hot food is received at or above 135°F, place food in the preheated steam tables until mealtime.

If it is uncertain if food will be at 135°F or above when it is delivered to sites, food may be kept at another site location to maintain temperature and then transported to site.

If it is determined that food can be delivered to site at 135°F or above, but there is concern about food maintaining temperature by mealtime, food may be served early. Staff should make every effort to contact participants on the sign-up list to inform them about the schedule adjustment.

If the food is received below 135°F and transit time is known to be less than two hours, with <appropriate staff> approval, participants may be called, and the meal may be served early.

If food is below 135°F and transit time is unknown, food will be discarded, and an emergency meal substitution will be used to replace food for participants.

# Failure of Delivery/Nutrition Personnel to Report to Work

Personnel unable to report to work must contact their immediate supervisor. The supervisor will advise the <appropriate staff> and will contact an available substitute from the approved and trained substitute list. If a substitute is not available, the following will occur:

If a substitute is unable to be found for delivery personnel, the <appropriate staff> will assign a maintenance worker to deliver the meals.

If the maintenance worker is unavailable, <appropriate staff> will assign another nutrition-trained and <county or city>-approved driver to deliver the meals.

If a substitute is unavailable for the <appropriate staff>, <other nutrition approved staff> will substitute for the program.

# Food Delivery Failures/Insufficiencies

On occasion, insufficient food may be received from the caterer, for example, 40 meals may be delivered when 50 were ordered, or unforeseen emergencies on the road may prohibit the driver from reaching the sites. In these situations, the following should be implemented.

Review sign-up sheets, check for any duplication, and determine how many cancellations have been called in. This may reduce the deficiency. If a deficiency still exists, proceed as follows:

Home-delivered meals: If <agency> is short the number of required meals, <appropriate staff> shall determine who will not receive a meal, based on knowledge of existing meal supports, and will notify client, advising the client to use an emergency meal if no other food is available.

Congregate meals: Notify the <appropriate staff> of the problem. If there is sufficient time, call the caterer to see if it is possible to pick up additional food. Use emergency funds to supplement items missing from the menu, as described below.

The caterer will be notified of a shortage when the meal count is provided for the next day.

# Emergency Fund Food Purchases

An emergency fund (EF) of <amount> annually, received from a partnership with <organization>, is maintained in the safe at each dining site.

All EF expenses will be documented with receipts and noted on the appropriate nutrition emergencies log.

<Appropriate staff> may use EF monies to resolve specific emergencies:

Untimely or lack of bulk meals delivery to site(s) due to traffic delays.

Insufficient quantity of menu items for the number of meals ordered.

Inability to serve meals due to quality concerns, or items deemed unsafe per food safety standards.

Supplement or purchase a meal for weather-related or another emergency.

Non-approved uses of EF are as follows:

People showing up for lunch who did not pre-register.

Enhancements to the published menu (condiments, desserts, sides, etc.).

The <appropriate staff> will:

Identify whether the problem can be resolved with on-hand pantry item(s).

Decide if the problem is deemed an acceptable necessary use of EF, and purchase item(s) locally.

Obtain receipts for all expenditures.

Email the <appropriate staff> to document the problem and how it was resolved.

The waiting list should be enforced. Explain the problem to patrons; most will be understanding.

Items from the pantry may be used; however, staff should use this sparingly to ensure food is available in case of emergency.

<Appropriate staff> shall contact the <appropriate staff> with meal substitution for approval by the dietitian.

Smaller portions should not be given to stretch meals.