Ford Motor Company will begin to lift its suspension of vehicle production in May after restrictions were imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ford suspended production of its vehicles in mid-March and extended its production delay into April. This followed moves by Volkswagen, Daimler, General Motors and Fiat to do the same to protect workers.
Now, the company announced plans to begin the restart of vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. and North America with the installation of new equipment and safety protocols to protect workers from spreading or contracting the coronavirus. Ford said it will also restart production in European plants starting on May 4. Meanwhile, production in China has already resumed.
Ford said it has started educating its global workforce, integrating new guidelines with a safety playbook that employees will have to follow along with using personal protection and hygiene items such as masks and hand sanitizer.
“The health and safety of our employees has been — and remains — our top priority as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kiersten Robinson, Ford’s chief human resources officer. “We are taking extensive measures that apply best practices from around the world to make sure all of our facilities and workplaces will be safe, clean and secure for when we return to work on-site. Every team member will play a role in protecting themselves and their colleagues as Ford reopens facilities around the world.”
The guidelines for returning to work include:
- Daily online health self-certifications before each shift.
- No-touch temperature scans upon arrival.
- Face masks on everyone entering a Ford facility
- Safety glasses with side shields or face shields as added requirements when jobs do not allow for social distancing.
- Upgraded facility cleaning and disinfecting and hand sanitation stations placed throughout the Ford facilities.
Ford will continue to plan for the return to work in its facilities with input from global medical experts including advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Additionally, the re-opening of facilities will factor in more time between production shifts to limit interaction among employees and allow for more cleaning. Cafeterias, small meeting rooms, fitness centers and other common areas where social distancing is not possible will remain closed, the company said.
According to Ford, the automotive industry accounts for 6% of the gross domestic product in the U.S., which accounts for more than 7 million jobs.
