Stop line, disposable tableware and food delivery: how Kazanorgsintez resolving food issue

The enterprise has adjusted the public catering service’s operation to the conditions dictated by COVID-19

Enterprises with a non-stop production cycle have been living in a constant fight to save their employees’ health for more than a month already because of the spread of the coronavirus infection. Read in Realnoe Vremya’s report how Kazanorgsintez has organised the supply of provisions during general self-isolation, workers’ meals and what safety measures have been taken at the same time.

Four operating canteens

Public catering was the first to feel the influence of the coronavirus pandemic. Urban restaurants and cafes reduced the number of tables first, then even they closed. Restrictions of Russia’s consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor affected public catering sites in industrial enterprises too. Because of a risk of the spread of the severe virus, Kazanorgsintez has changed the operation of the public catering service.

“When the self-isolation regime began, ten subdivisions of the service temporarily closed on safety grounds. Now Kazanorgsintez employees are eating lunch in four canteens on the territory of the enterprise. At the same time we haven’t introduced changes to the dietetic menu,” says Director of Kazanorgsintez Public Catering Service Aydar Galimov. “Though the reception of counteragents and commercial representatives is limited, our canteens are provided with food reserves for a month. We don’t have problems with the supply of produce.”

Fight with the help of disinfection and plastic tableware

Kazanorgsintez Public Catering Service in general is almost 15 branches (canteens, cafes, buffets and even a supermarket) and three shops: meat and fish, confectionery and vegetables. Moreover, only the vegetable storehouse has a capacity of 150 tonnes, the capacity of two potato storehouses is 400 tonnes. 3,500 people daily used the public catering services before the pandemic. While the price of the food in the canteens is still one of the cheapest in Kazan.

The quality control of the Public Catering Service includes a strict selection of suppliers. The enterprise purchases only certified produce. The staff works only if it has a medical work permit and regularly does necessary check-ups. In the current conditions, the canteen employees — as well as other plant workers — are preparing lunches in protective masks and gloves meeting all hygiene requirements. The staff’s health is strictly monitored in the public catering service’s subdivisions: body temperature is daily taken and written down in a record book.

There has been put a marking on the floor in the canteens near cash registers to make sure the employees are keeping a distance of 1,5 metres. Wet cleaning with disinfectants is done regularly. Waste is collected in hermetic bags, their further safe disposal is provided.

Moreover, multiple-use tableware and cutlery have been replaced for disposable plastic. Reusable tableware may be used too, it just must be treated in dishwashers at no below 65 degrees during 90 minutes or manually at the same temperature with disinfectants. The same is done to the tableware that is necessary to prepare food.

Mastering delivery

During the coronavirus pandemic, Kazanorgsintez Public Catering Service as well as most of the public catering points in Russia has mastered a delivery system. Now dishes from the canteens and cafes of the service can be ordered on the website and in Yandex.Eda app. The menu is available there. Both the employees of the factory and all users can use it. The prices in the service are a bit higher than in the canteens but anyway lower than the average.

The PCS is planning to master Delivery Club soon too. The next service in the queue is Yandex.Taxi as another way to deliver products and dishes.

Food baskets for employees in self-isolation

The PCS has created a set of 18 products for the employees who are in self-isolation. The enterprise has made up the basket from the most popular imperishable products. Moreover, their price is at the level of prime cost for the enterprise.

“We include our products of the public catering service to the food baskets. We also consider the energy value of food per capita excluding the dairy and bread,” notes Aydar Galimov.

To order the food basket, an employee needs to name his employee ID. Employees of the public catering service whose faces are protected with a mask and have gloves on their hands are delivering the ready order. Nobody forgets necessary social distancing too.

These sets were also sent to the trade union committee of the enterprise’s workers. It organised free delivery of the food baskets to veterans. Last week, heads of KOS plants joined them too. Director of Ethylene Plant Aleksey Belov, Director of the Low-Density Polyethylene Preparation and Procession Plant Rustem Muzyafarov, Vice Chief Engineer of the Low-Density Polyethylene Plant Dmitry Kochnev visited veterans of the enterprise.

The food baskets have been delivered to 90 old people who are members of the Council of Veterans at Kazanorgsintez PJSC. First, the activists call the pensioners, receive their assent and then visit them. The volunteers have factory passes. It is clear that the restricted operation of Kazanorgsintez Public Catering Service is a forced prevention measure during the coronavirus pandemic. But at the moment the enterprise with 8,000 employees is mobilising its forces by quickly readjusting and making amendments, accepting new games rule of the world that has suddenly changed.

By Yekaterina Kharitonova
Tatarstan