Stores are one of the few remaining hubs for activity these days. Therefore, they’re one of the most dangerous places when it comes to catching COVID-19. What can we do, as store owners, to keep our many customers and employees safe? One way we can minimize the spread of COVID-19 is by quarantining new store shipments. Therefore, let’s take a look at how to do that with tent shelters.
Set Up a Tent Shelter
Items being shipped from one place to another are touched by many hands. There are those from the people loading things to those from people checking truck contents. With all of the contact with the outside world, shipments can become contaminated with COVID-19. However, the virus can only live a few days on surfaces. Therefore, quarantining new store shipments allows some extra time for any COVID-19 to die off from contaminated items.
To minimize the spread of COVID-19, a store should set up a quarantine zone. A tent shelter is a great way to do this. Keeping new stock in a tent shelter will create a clear divide, ensuring employees don’t contact the new shipments until they’ve had enough time to become safe.
Unload into Quarantine
When a new shipment comes in, unload it directly into the tent shelter. If you set up your tent shelter near where shipments are unloaded, you can simply tie back the tent flaps and use a forklift to drive pallets inside. Or, if your shipments come in boxes, employees will have ample room to unload by hand without crowding each other.
After unloading directly into the tent shelter for item quarantine, employees should wash their hands and leave the stock to sit for a few days. 3-5 days should do the trick.
Restock as Usual
When enough time has passed for any COVID-19 on the surfaces of the shipment to die off, it’s time to restock. The tent flaps can be tied back, once more, and employees can move the quarantined shipment to the regular part of the stock room. From there, the items are safe to be put on the shelves of your store.
This practice of quarantining new store shipments ensures you’re not introducing more COVID-19 into an already risky environment. Suppose your shipment had COVID-19 on it and was immediately put on the shelves after arrival. Employees would have contaminated their hands and then potentially spread it even further, to other items, during restocking. By quarantining the shipment, you’ve avoided this problem entirely.
Get the Right Size Tent
Every store is a different size and has a different demand for their tent shelters. Whether you need a small tent for quarantining a small grocery shipment or a huge one for a warehouse, Varsity Tents has you covered. We have tents of all sizes, which means we’ll have exactly what you need, no matter the store. Tents can even be combined to create fully customizable quarantine shelters. Give us a call and we’ll work to help you improve the safety of your store.