Car giant Ford has announced plans to restart production at several factories including its Bridgend engine plant.
Work will resume there on May 18 as well as at the company’s engine plants in Dagenham, Essex.
Together with Valencia engine plant in Spain, which also restarts production next week, the resumption of production in the UK means that all of Ford’s European manufacturing facilities will be back at work.
A limited number of employees have continued to work on company sites in the UK over recent weeks to ensure the ongoing provision of critical services.
“As we return to work at our two engine plants in the UK our key priority is the implementation of Ford’s global standards on social distancing and strengthened health and safety protocols to safeguard the wellbeing of our workforce,” said Graham Hoare, chairman of Ford of Britain.
Ford outlined a series of health and safety measures which will be put in place including requiring anyone entering a Ford facility to use a company-provided face mask and a face shield in select manufacturing positions and other positions where social distancing cannot be met.
Everyone entering a Ford facility will have their body temperature checked with scanning equipment and a daily wellness self-assessment of workers will be made.
Work areas are being redesigned to ensure social distancing guidelines are maintained and there will be a phased return to work to reduce employee density in buildings and on production lines.
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