Amazon And Flipkart Have To Follow New Guidelines To Ensure Safe Delivery During The CO.VID-19 Pandemic

The draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has proposed several measures for e-commerce operations amid the ongoing pandemic. Among those, COO of companies like Flipkart and Amazon will have to be responsible for strictly implementing social distancing strictly as well as sanitization norms. Besides, their staff is required to download and install the Aarogya Setu app.

The Indian government allows e-commerce firms to operate during the lockdown, that’s why the SOP has been drafted and sent to related bodies. The draft norms say:

“The purpose of this SOP is to provide health and safety guidance for cleaning, maintaining hygiene and safety at workplace during a pandemic outbreak across the supply chain, including First Mile Sellers.”

It also said that COOs will hold the overall accountability for making sure their companies comply with the requirements in the SOP.

In addition, regional infrastructure and facility manager or similar will be responsible for conducting specific tasks and the manager will be in charge of spreading and educating the SOP guidelines to the staff.

The draft SOP includes screening staffers at sale operations, warehousing, and seller for CO.VID-19 symptoms, including fever, sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath, at entry as well as immediate reporting to nearby hospitals in case someone shows symptoms.

If one of the staff is confirmed infected with SARS-CoV-2, the entire facility will be evacuated immediately and all assets will be isolated and covered.

“It is mandatory of all staff and business owners to download and register on Aarogya Setu application and if applicable on the Suraksha Store app also.”

Companies must keep a logbook of all employees along with visitors that access their facilities.

“Management is responsible for safekeeping of such logbook and forms with detailed information of such visitors, such as name, age, address (current and permanent), proof of residence, mobile number, among others).”

There must be hand sanitizer at entries, exits, and periodic intervals. Meanwhile, hubs and warehouses must run arrange shifts to limit crowding and there must be masks provided for staff at the entrance. All staff must practice social distancing, staying at least 1.5 meters from one another, especially at places that most likely get mass gathering like loading bays.

Furthermore, the draft SOP provides detailed guidelines in terms of cleaning for sellers, which include mopping the floor with disinfectant once each day, wiping trolleys as well as other industrial machines every 4 hours using a disinfectant, and cleaning doorknobs every 2 hours.

All MSME/first mile sellers are required to comply with FSSAI’s guidelines for food hygiene and safety for food business during the pandemic.

“E-commerce company shall determine high risk areas/impacted pandemic zones and carry out fumigation of warehouse sites by external vendors at least once every 15 days or if any risk is identified (for example any person visiting the warehouse has been in contact with a COVID-19 positive person), whichever is earlier.”

Moreover, vehicles used in delivery need cleaning and drivers must follow the same norms for staff. During delivery to last-mile customers, each driver or delivery staffer must carry their company ID card while the vehicle must be cleaned/disinfected/sanitized.

The draft said that bags that are used by the delivery person to carry shipment must be cleaned before the delivery, all delivery staff must wear masks and keep the minimum distance from customers. The use of cash for payment is discouraged too.

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