Ford Plans To Resume Production With Health Screenings, Temperature Checks And Face Masks

Ford has detailed their safety plans to resume production in the United States.

While the company didn’t say when this will occur, they revealed it won’t be business as usual.

In order to work, employees will need to complete an online health screening every day. If they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with it, they will be told not to come to work.

Also Read: Audi, Renault, Hyundai Among First Carmakers To Resume European Production

Even when employees get to work, things will be different. Everyone will be subjected to a no-touch temperature scan upon arrival, and anyone with an elevated temperature will be sent home and told to be cleared by a physician before returning to work.

Everyone entering a Ford facility will also be required to wear a face mask. However, Ford will be providing employees with a “care kit” that includes a mask as well as other items to keep them “healthy and comfortable at work.”

Social distances measures will also be incorporated but, in areas where that isn’t possible, face shields or safety glasses with side shields will be required.

Other changes include increased cleaning, the installation of hand sanitation stations, and more time between shifts to limit interaction between employees. The company also noted common areas where social distancing isn’t possible – such as cafeterias, fitness centers and small meeting rooms – will remain closed.

To help gear up for the return to production, a “small number of hourly and salaried employees” have been called back to work in North America this week. They’re tasked with installing new equipment and putting the safety protocols into place.

Ford has a lot riding on their restart plan as the company built more than 492,000 vehicles in the United States last year. Many of those were F-Series pickups and Ford said they generate approximately $50.2 (£39.8 / €45.8) billion in global sales revenue annually – that’s more than the annual revenues of American Express, Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines.

Plants are just part of the issue and Ford said they’re planning to assist dealerships as they prepare to reopen. As part of this effort, the automaker will provide dealers with equipment such as face masks and hand sanitizer. Some of these will be made by Ford as they’ve been building everything from face shields to ventilators to help out during the pandemic.

While there’s no word on when production will resume, Ford’s Chief Operating Officer Jim Farley said “Getting back to work isn’t just good news for Ford employees. It’s also good news for our suppliers, car dealers and the ecosystems that provide services around them, like restaurants, shops and stores.” He went on to say this is an “economic multiplier” that will “help reboot communities around the globe.”