Fiat Chrysler Automobiles workers will see some changes in light of the coronavirus pandemic when they return to their facilities, with most manufacturing plants reopening on Monday.
The company early Tuesday laid out its health and safety plans for reopening its North American plants, noting that it had cleaned and disinfected more than 57 million square feet of space during its shutdown. The company was hardest hit among the Detroit Three in the toll on its employees from COVID-19. CEO Mike Manley said last week the company lost 22 members of its workforce.
Among the most direct impacts will be a daily health risk assessment. The company said that would mean employees and visitors “taking their temperature less than two hours before reporting to work or visiting the site with either a company-provided temperature strip or personal thermometer.”
They will also have to complete a self-screening questionnaire and turn it in as they enter their facilities. Thermal imaging cameras, presumably to check for elevated temperatures, will be in use.
Workers will also have to wear company-provided masks and safety glasses at all times when in their facilities. Gloves and safety glasses will be required when applying or cleaning with disinfectant spray, and visitors and contractors to any FCA facility will have to provide their own personal protection equipment for entry, the company said.
“We have taken a ‘belt and suspenders’ approach to mitigating the spread of this virus by implementing lots of layers of protection,” Scott Garberding, FCA’s global chief manufacturing officer, said in a news release, with comments apparently directed at workers. “You are a key part of successfully resuming operations. In this new environment, we all need to take responsibility for our own safety and that of the people around us. An effective start-up will require detailed understanding, teaching, coaching and patience from all of us.”
Other changes the company announced:
- More than 2,000 hand sanitizer stations
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting schedules developed for high traffic areas, including turnstiles, restrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms and conference rooms, along with 135 hand-held foggers for more efficient cleaning of these areas
- More than 17,000 workstations analyzed and evaluated for adherence to six-foot social distancing guidelines
- More than 4,700 job areas and workstations redesigned or protective barriers installed to allow for more social distancing
- Plexiglass partitions and visual management guides for social distancing in break areas and cafeterias, as well as throughout all buildings
The company said that after its restart it would adopt a new level of daily cleaning and disinfecting in accordance with health regulations.
“In addition to increasing the number of times per shift that high-traffic, high-use areas, as well as common touchpoints, are cleaned and disinfected, 10 minutes per shift will be dedicated to cleaning and disinfecting employee workstations,” the company said.
Signage promoting health and safety themes have been posted to remind employees and visitors of health and safety protocols, including hand-washing. Employees will participate in small group training sessions on new policies during their first day on the job.
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“We have worked closely with the unions to establish protocols that will ensure our employees feel safe at work and that every step possible has been taken to protect them. We have drawn on our collective global expertise and best practices to rethink our production processes to put in place comprehensive protocols to keep our workforce safe,” Manley said in the release. “There is no question that coming to work will look and feel different. I have now visited several of our Detroit-area facilities, met with our teams and walked the floor. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all of our colleagues who have done an incredible job putting in place safety protocols to protect our people.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.
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