The Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association, working with other groups, has compiled a list of safety suggestions and best practices during the Covid-19 crisis.
It has the basics: washing your hands, avoiding touching your face and covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Those are good practices in normal times.
However, when dealing with plants that employ thousands of people, safety during a pandemic becomes more important than ever. Here are some suggestions for auto manufacturers during the restart and operation of their plants during Covid-19.
Masks should be required and worn by all team members.
Temperature checks should be conducted when employees or visitors enter the facility. If a temperature higher than 99.14 is detected, a second temperature check of the person should be conducted 10 minutes later. If the temperature remains, the employee or visitor should be sent home and asked to consult a physician.
All touch areas should be disinfected and contact reduced as much as possible. For instance, team members should use elevators as little as possible and disposable tissues should be made available for use in regard to touching the elevator buttons. If tissues aren’t available, wash your hands immediately after pressing the elevator buttons.
High traffic areas should have markings designating 6 feet intervals.
If a cafeteria is on the premises, only box lunches and disposable utensils should be made available and cafeteria personnel should wear masks and gloves at all times while in the cafeteria. Seating should also be reduced to increase distance between individuals. Stagger lunch and break times.
Personal protection equipment should be kept by team members. Do not share PPE. If gloves are part of the PPE required, clean during and after shifts.
Limit job rotation in the work areas to one station and clean tools after every rotation and between all shifts. If possible, sanitize production parts with UV light. Team members should clean all gate boxes, teach pendants, bicycles, scooters, radios, etc. daily.
In office areas, all personal items should be removed from desks, so that team members who are present at work can spread out as much as possible among the available desks.
Team members who can work remotely should be separated into two teams, so that each team can work remotely on a rotating basis. All phones, keyboards, mouse and computers should be disinfected daily.
AAMA also suggested that cleaning contractors who have special Covid-19 methods be implemented and their frequency increased to all areas where possible.
These suggestions were compiled by AAMA and other manufacturers and do not represent a complete system.
The Alabama Technology Network has also developed a guide on returning to work. It can be found here.
