US Automakers Plant Re-openings

GM

Our thanks to Burgess Oliver, the past president of AME's Champions Club, for noting GM's Playbook, the reopening guide co-authored by CEO Mary Barra and Jim Glynn, VP of Worker Safety.  The document is a detailed visual guide for the re-start of GM manufacturing plants. The Playbook has two sections - one on preparing employees to come back, helping them to work in the plant, Coronavirus points, etc.  The other section covers key manufacturing steps, including site entry, sanitization, physical distancing and ventilation, and critical supply management challenges now facing all manufacturing leaders. 

Check out the features on GM's Playbook from writers Dale Buss and Sam Mceachern detailing GM's strategy; click on the Chief Executive, Forbes and GM Authority links for more on the Playbook -  

   Chief Executive, May 27, 2020, "Master of Manufacturing:  Jim Glynn, GM's Point Man for Covid19 Reopening, Automaker's manufacturing veteran stresses 'emotional safety' for workers in leading restart of  operations after pandemic"; 

    Forbes, May 18, 2020,  "Unguarded: GM Is Happy To Be Giving Away Its Covid-19 Playbook"  

    GM Authority, May 20,2020, Sam Mceachern, "General Motors Marks Successful First Day of Reopening U.S. Assembly Plants"

Honda

Honda employees started back to automotive, engine and transmission production in May after the March 23 shutdown.   According to The Detroit Bureau's Joseph Szczesny, day 1 would be used for Covid-19 prevention protocols, including company-wide temperature scanning (no temps over 100 degrees allowed inside).  Employees issued face masks daily and some workers will use face shields as well.  Like many other Reboots, Honda plants will stagger shift start times, a move that cuts down on human contact while entering and exiting plants, a concern also shared by GM plant leaders.  

FORD 

Adrienne Selko in the June 9,2020 edition of IndustryWeek.com, "Best Practices from Ford's Return to Work Handbook," reports how this automaker is working to ensure worker safety with its 64-page "Manufacturing Return to Work Playbook."  Like other manufacturers, Ford is re-booting with a staggered schedule.  Selko reports that Ford is even producing some of its own protective gear - face masks at Van Dyke Transmission Plant and shields at its Troy Design & Manufacturing facility!  Way to go Ford! 

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR cargroup.org), a Detroit-based research and information group, publishes on-going updates on plant start-ups, volumes, playbooks and advisories. Click on their website link for maps (see above) and stats on the US' biggest economic sector, automotive.  Click on this link to view their one-hour video "Playbook for Restarting Production."

Lear

 The automotive seating supplier's 51-page "Safe Work Playbook"  (see Automotive News April 7, 2020) covers Covid19 protocol as this major supplier re-starts.  One important protocol for summer operations is the disinfection recommendation to "Replace HVAC air filters or clean/disinfect."  The possible role of air conditioning units in the spread of the virusis  being looked at with varying expert and non-expert opinions; we await research results.

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