UNMC Releases Mitigation Guide for Packing Plants

April 30, 2020 – In light of the announced closure of the state’s largest packing plant in Dakota City for sanitation, as well as several major outbreaks that have been identified in packing plants statewide, a guide has been created by UNMC to assist with mitigating the spread of COVID-19.   This guide will also prove helpful to other businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, etc.  across the State.  The guide is intended to provide best practices and recommendations for facilities to minimize the risk that COVID-19 poses to employees and the community.

Experts at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine developed the recommended measures following an “exhaustive literature search to see what was out there in terms of best practices and industry-specific information” said Jocelyn Herstein, Ph.D., infectious disease expert for the Global Center for Health Security. Dr. Herstein and a team of experts toured 10 meatpacking plants over the past two weeks to provide technical assistance and further develop the guidelines, titled “Meat Processing Facility COVID-19 Playbook.”

Experts from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, based at UNMC, helped develop the playbook and checklist and are working to adapt these resources to guide COVID-19 safety measures for workers in other agricultural sectors.

“It is our top priority to protect the health of workers and their families who are braving the COVID-19 pandemic to put food on everyone’s tables.” said John-Martin Lowe, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for Health Security Training and Education at UNMC.

The training reference materials for meat processing facilities can be found here.