Food Bar Sneeze Guard

Sneeze Shields: What You Need to Know

Sneeze guards are most common in restaurants, where many jurisdictions require them to protect food from other guests. Coughing, sneezing, and even just breathing can project bodily fluids onto surfaces, so buffet sneeze guards are intended to catch this spray, preventing it from contaminating food below it. Breath shields can deter this transfer from occurring between people, which is particularly helpful in customer service environments where operators must interact with dozens of people daily.

Whether you're looking for a hanging unit or a countertop acrylic sneeze guard, adding these barriers to any potential interaction point can stop the spread of disease and improve the safety of food and people. Plastic barriers catch potential contaminants before they cause any harm, and then can be sanitized at given points throughout the day.

Common Questions About Sneeze Guards

Am I required to have a buffet sneeze guard?

Most buffets are required by health code regulations to have a sneeze guard of some sort protecting their food from dozens or hundreds of customers. Because health codes vary significantly from location to location, we can't say for certain whether your local health department requires sneeze guards for restaurants, but we can say they're a good idea regardless. Customers hesitate to eat at buffets that seem insufficiently protected, especially in times when disease is at the forefront of their minds. These durable salad bar sneeze guards will last a long time, so the one-time investment easily pays back with an increased public perception of your establishment's safety.

What size and style of sneeze guard do I need?

Buffet sneeze guards come in a wide range of sizes and styles and many are adjustable, so operators can match the guard to their existing buffet. The first decision you should make is the style of access – will you have servers on one side accessing the food, or will customers serve themselves? Salad bar sneeze guards often need access from both sides, as customers may be on either side or customers on one side and service staff on the other to refill. We also carry options with solid, stainless steel top shelves that enable operators to set plates or trays on top of the sneeze shield while serving food. Consider the total weight capacity of this top shelf before setting items on it – not all are made to support lots of weight.

We offer both portable sneeze guards and counter-mounted options. Portable units are great if you'll use different tables at different times, or store the tables between uses, but counter-mounted options are far more common. Counter sneeze guards are more stable, but once installed, removing them for cleaning can be difficult.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, ensure your sneeze guard matches the width of the buffet, salad bar, or other area that needs protecting. Consult the product specification page for the guard you've chosen to see how much leeway you need on either side of the food openings for installation.