Commitment to Safety
We are recommending that your business create protocols and a plan for safety, for your customers and your staff. This is not only the right thing to do, but also necessary for marketing purposes to make sure your customers know that you are making every effort to create a safe environment.
NOTE: FearWorm is a marketing firm. These suggestions are made as idea-starters from the perspective of a marketer and are in no way legal advice. We recommend you consult your attorney, government official notices and the CDC for exact guidelines. Each attraction’s plan will vary depending on attraction type, and if there are added risks such as food preparation and serving. What we are listing here are simply suggestions.
Our Help as an Agency
We do not manage all of our clients’ websites, creative (for on-site signage needed) or social media. These are recommendations whether or not we handle that work for you. Please consult with your FearWorm Account Coordinator if you require assistance or have any questions. Please CC any communications to FearWorm co-founder Patrick Stanger directly at patrick@fearworm.com.
Goals & Guidelines
• Build a guideline you can follow to help with the safety of your customers and your employees.
• Help foster a sense of confidence to your patrons and employees about your procedures and your commitment to their and your safety.
• Legal Guidelines: You should note on your shared statements or website that you are making every attempt to provide a safe environment but are in no way liable for the health of your customers or employees. This notice is simply a statement of your procedures and not a guarantee for their health or safety. This is not a legal obligation. Again, consult an attorney for legal advice and wording.
•Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
•Make sure your staff is trained on how to respond to questions about safety. Make sure hot water is operating properly in all bathrooms.
Example of Legal Wording
“An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By visiting Attraction Name , you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. All guests must take personal responsibility for their own health and safety when visiting by making good choices.”
This is just an example for reference. Please consult your attorney on legal statements.
Action Plan
Build a Web Page
Build a page on your web site, titled something like “Our Commitment to Safety.” This page can serve as the hub for your efforts in providing a safe environment for customers and staff. This could be a link to a pdf or a page on the site. Promote this page or pdf on your home page. This could be a thin banner across the top of the page above the navigation.
Begin with some kind of disclaimer that includes a legal notice. You could include verbiage similar to the following: “We are closely monitoring government policy changes, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, government mandates, and public health advancements and will continue to make changes as necessary or appropriate to our protocols and procedures.”
Promote Through Social Media
Reference the ‘Our Commitment to Safety’ page on your social media occasionally. Mention you are open for business, and “Here is what we’re doing to provide a safe environment.”
Display On-Site Signage
Reference the ‘Our Commitment to Safety’ and procedures in writing and post it at your location at the entrance and on several common areas. Reference your website for complete guidelines and protocol.
Safety Ideas
The following are some categories and ideas for increasing safety at your attractions. Again, these are just idea-starters. Consult with an attorney or local officials for wording and requirements for your building, equipment, process, and based on your geographic location.
Case Notification
If we are alerted to a presumptive case of COVID-19 on our property, we will follow appropriate protocol actions recommended by health organizations or the government.
Set-up Sanitizing Stations
Hand sanitizer available for guests and staff. Place at specific points when this may be most needed (i.e. at the entrance/exit of an event facility).
Employee Monitoring
• Employee temperature check each day before work.
• All employees wearing face masks and/or gloves as deemed necessary. • Remove any employee showing signs of sickness.
Employee Responsibilities
• Hand washing. All employees to be instructed to wash their hands, using soap, or to use hand sanitizer when a sink is not available, at least every 60 minutes (wash for 20 seconds) and after any other activity or contact that would be deemed necessary requiring a cleaning: touching food, use of restroom, sneezing, touching their own face, blowing nose, cleaning, going on break and before start of shift, etc.
• Checking their own temperature daily before heading to work. Do not come to work if they have a fever or symptoms of COVID-19.
• Report to their manager if they have presumed contact with anyone testing positive or showing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Report to their manager if experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Wearing appropriate PPE at all times based on their role and responsibilities. This includes wearing a mask or gloves, as provided and required by their employer.
Consider Disinfecting Services
There are many companies offering disinfecting spray services where they come in each morning and treat your facility. You might consider looking into one of these services. We can share a contact with you, but locations and availability vary depending on your attraction’s geographic location. Email Patrick at patrick@fearworm.com for more information.
Health and Hygiene Reminders
Display signage at the attraction entrance and throughout the property reminding of hand washing, social distancing, not to touch face, sanitization usage, and any other specific requirements.
Increased Cleanings
• Set a time frame for increased cleanings. Nightly. Every morning. On the hour. This could be different time frames for different procedures (i.e. wiping down common area surfaces every half hour).
• Focus on frequent contact surfaces that may include (but not limited to) entrance door/handles, bathroom or other access point door/handles, stall doors, hand rails, stair rails, elevator controls, service counters, guest tables, chairs / wheelchairs tops/backs, games, equipment used by guests, any surface or items frequently touched by guests or staff every hour while open.
• Extensive cleaning each night after closing or in the morning before opening. Including cleaning all surfaces that may be touched by employee or guest. Also includes cleaning of staff areas, kitchen, bathroom, etc.
Touch-less Transactions
• Guests should be able to insert a credit card without having to sign for the card.
• Some guests will prefer using touch-less payment services like Google /Apple Pay. Offering these touch-less payment options will be an added value for some guests.
• Potentially suspend the use of cash.
Physical Distancing Measures
• Create guidelines for standing in lines or in waiting areas. Queue lines should be marked for appropriate physical, social distancing. Same at registers.
• Table distance needs to be at least 6-feet apart.
• Limit guest occupancy for merch areas or shops, per local guidelines.
• Marking distancing on the floor as necessary.
• Put up caution tape to restrict proximity in waiting areas to help facilitate social distancing, as needed.
Retail / Merch
• Consider all sales final until further notice. No returned products accepted. Cleaning procedure for cases and shelving, if applicable.
• No touch policy for items on shelves. Ask an employee for assistance.
• Perhaps these items can be purchased ahead of time and pre-packaged for swift guest pick-up after their visit on-site.
Food Service / Concessions
• Reduce seating capacity as needed to allow for a minimum of 6-feet between each seated group. This may require an every-other-booth policy.
• Provide masks for servers and cooks.
• No open food at any area (such as a condiment bar).
• Cleaning at least once per hour of all contact surfaces.
• Servers to use sanitizer after each use of a POS terminal.
• Condiments not available on any table or surface. Serve condiments in single use containers / packets.
• Set a required amount of space at bars and counters. Remove stools to promote distancing.
• Remove some high-top tables (if applicable) in bar areas to promote social distancing. Consider not displaying quick-serve options, like coffee or hot cocoa.
• All straws or stirring items should be wrapped.
• No open utensils available for guest to pick from a bin. These should be provided by a food service employee only.
• Napkin boxes to be suspended. Provided by food service employee only. Suspend use of linens or coverings of any kind on tables and surfaces.