Built Ford Tough: Blue Oval to Begin Phased N.A. Restart May 18
Ford parts distribution centers resume full operations in North America on May 11 to support dealers in providing service to keep vehicles on the road.
Proving that you can’t hold a good truck down, Ford Motor Company has announced that it is rolling out the phased restart of its North America operations beginning May 18 after establishing and installing numerous safety measures necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the phased restart, Ford’s N.A. parts depots will resume full operations on May 11. Vehicle production in North America restarts May 18, bringing back the first wave of employees that are unable to do their jobs remotely.
This is, of course, all good news as the world and our economy confronts this baffling virus. The newly-announced phased restart includes the expected post-coronavirus safety precautions, such as floor markings reminding everyone to keep a distance of six feet between each other. And Ford seems to have covered every corner, taking extreme safety straight to the restrooms, where the urinals are now spaced apart differently than they were before the term COVID-19 entered our collective vocabulary.
‘We are in this together and plan to return to our normal operating patterns as soon as we are confident the system is ready to support.’
While the world remains shaky about the virus itself and controversy continues over national regulations, the return to a strong economy is of utmost concern to all Americans, of course, and Ford is showing a hopeful return to that goal. The Blue Oval also is making sure to announce to the public just what measures it is taking to ensure that its workers, customers, and everyone in between is protected as best to the automaker’s means as possible. Ford has also, of course, been making respirators and masks in the fight against the disease, which is a welcome and noble sign to see a company of this magnitude be so proactive in the eye of the hurricane.
United with UAW on New Safety Measures
On May 18, MoCo’s North American assembly plants previously operating on three-shift patterns will return with two-shifts, most two-shift plants will return on one shift and most one-shift plants will operate on one shift. Michigan’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant and Ontario’s Oakville Assembly Complex are expected to resume production the week of May 25.
The ramp-up process will be gradual as workers adjust to the new health and safety protocols and the entire supply chain comes up to speed.
“We’ve developed these safety protocols in coordination with our union partners, especially the UAW, and we all know it will take time to adjust to them,” said Gary Johnson, Ford’s Chief Manufacturing and Labor Officer. “We are in this together and plan to return to our normal operating patterns as soon as we are confident the system is ready to support.”
Ford is implementing a staggered approach to bring back approximately 12,000 “location-dependent” employees who are not able to do their jobs remotely, encompassing functions including product development, IT, facilities management, and more. The staggered approach allows Ford to effectively implement new safety protocols and provide proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for all employees as they return to work.
To guide the workforce with the new health and safety protocols, Ford has compiled a comprehensive Manufacturing Return to Work Playbook to help protect its workforce, assembled using best practices and input from experts around the world. Some of the safety protocols include:
- Daily online employee and visitor health self-certifications completed before work every day. Employees or visitors who indicate they may have symptoms or may have been exposed to the virus will be told not to come to Ford facilities.
- No-touch temperature scans upon arrival – anyone with a raised temperature will not be permitted to enter and will need to be cleared of symptoms before returning to work.
- Required face masks for everyone entering a Ford facility. Every Ford team member will be provided a care kit including face masks and other items to help keep them healthy and comfortable at work.
- Safety glasses with side shields or face shields will be required when jobs don’t allow for social distancing.
There will be more time between production shifts to limit interaction between employees and allow for additional cleaning.
Ford is producing face masks at Van Dyke Transmission Plant for use at its facilities across North America and face shields at its Troy Design & Manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Mich. Company-provided face masks will be required for anyone working at a Ford site, in line with the company’s global protocols, while safety glasses or face shields will be required in some instances. By producing face masks and face shields, Ford is helping reduce demand on stretched supply chains for personal protection equipment also needed by medical services and other industries.
Employees able to do their jobs remotely will continue to do so until advised otherwise.
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