Ford is restarting production on May 18 at two of its facilities in the United Kingdom: the Bridgend Engine Plant in South Wales and the Dagenham Engine Plant in Essex. A third facility, the Valencia Engine Plant in Spain, will reopen next week as well. The initial restart will consist of reintroducing a select few employees, with more workers coming back gradually.
Working Under New Policies
In order to promote safe working practices, Ford has put several policies in place including requiring face masks for anyone who enters, taking body temperatures via scanner before entering, taking a daily health assessment, and more. The company is also reconfiguring parts of the plants to encourage social distancing and requiring face shields in areas where that’s not possible. Each employee will also receive a care kit complete with “disposable face masks, reusable thermometer, and other hygiene items,” Ford explains.
More Than Vehicle Components
In addition to restarting engine production, Ford will also continue to produce face masks for its employees as well as build sub-assemblies for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium, with assembled ventilators being sent to the National Health Service. Ford of Britain Chairman Graham Hoare says that during these challenging times, Ford employees have been able to show “the strength of character that truly makes them the Backbone of Britain” by working to help people get through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From building sub-assemblies for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium at Dagenham, to manufacturing face masks at our Dunton Campus, and from loaning in excess of 200 vehicles to more than 40 organisations including 10 National Health Service ambulance trusts, to those in our workforce engaged in supporting their communities in a wide range of actions, Ford employees have made a valuable contribution to this country’s fight against Coronavirus,” he says.
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