PRINCETON — After Toyota suspended production across its North American plants for seven weeks, employees are slowly returning work and being trained on new safety protocols.
Factories present a challenge in the age of COVID-19, often consisting of hundreds of employees working in close quarters. Plants across the country have seen outbreaks, including here in the Tri-State.
Toyota was one of a few plants in the area suspending their operations. The closure was initially meant for two days but turned into seven weeks. The suspension was due to different reasons, all stemming from the pandemic. These reasons include a decrease in demand, supply chain disruptions and needing time to organize new safety measures.
'We're very flexible at Toyota'
"We always supply what the demand is. If the demand drops, we drop. If the demand goes up, we go up. We’re very flexible at Toyota," said Princeton plant president Leah Curry.
She said the temporary closure gave Toyota time to come up with a playbook on how they can bring employees back to work and mitigate the risk of an outbreak occurring.
"What we looked at across North America was the health and safety of our team members, that’s number one," Curry said.
New safety protocols, mask usage
Leadership teams from all of Toyota's North American plants worked together to devise a series of safety protocols with the help of medical experts. The teams also consulted with plants in Asia and Europe that opened before they did and took their best practices.
The result is a multi-step plan to slowly phase in production. To prepare for employees' return, Toyota supervisors have been making weekly calls to all workers. During these check-ins, supervisors explain new protocols and give employees a chance to voice any concerns about returning to work such as not having childcare or feeling afraid due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Employees were also asked questions to screen for potential exposures to the virus such as travel to places considered hot-spots for COVID-19.
Employees are returning to the plant at different times but the majority, which are the production workers, go back to work Monday, she said.
The first day will be a training session to cover all the new safety protocols, such as the proper ways to wear a mask throughout the day.
Part of the company's new policy is 100 percent mask usage for anyone entering the plant. Masks will be provided to every employee, every day.
The way employees enter the plant has also changed. There are specific entryways with hand sanitizing stations readily available. Once employees have sanitized their hands, they pick up their mask and get their temperature checked.
Some entryways have thermal imaging cameras that can be used to detect elevated body temperature. Others will use infrared thermometers.
Biggest challenge: 6 feet of distance
The biggest challenge is keeping employees apart while they're in the plant. There are 6 feet markers across the floors, and leaders are asking employees to be sure to be mindful of them.
Employees are also being asked to sanitize common work equipment as necessary. Work zones have been created to minimize how many employees interact with one another during their shift.
"We've tried to do everything we could think of to reduce the common area usage and keep it so team members are in contact with less people," Curry said.
That's done to make it easier for a doctor to do contact tracing in the event of a positive COVID-19 case at the plant. It also reduces how many employees could be exposed to the virus.
Breaks and lunch periods are being staggered and these common spaces are being sanitized throughout the day. There is only one seat per table in the cafeteria and Xs have been placed to mark where to not sit.
Shared appliances such as coffee makers are no longer being used, and employees are being encouraged to bring food from home instead of using vending machines.
At the smoking areas, there are markers on the ground indicating six feet apart. Inside the bathrooms, there are plexiglass partitions between the sinks and urinals.
Part of the training is also providing employees facts about COVID-19, what CDC recommendations are and asking all team members to protect themselves outside of work to reduce the chance that someone gets the virus.
Production to ramp up slowly
Toyota will use May and June to slowly ramp up production and won't be producing at maximum volume until July. This is due to supply chain disruptions but will also give employees a chance to get acquainted with the many new protocols.
"We’re not worried about the volume to start with. We’re worried about the health and well being of our team members," Curry said. "So we’re starting everything very slowly."
She said management will keep repeating and reviewing the new safety measures with employees because it takes time and practice to get accustomed to such a new way of operating.
"It’s been a very sharp learning curve. As the country learned about COVID and what the best practices are, we were also adapting to those changes and chaining our standards," Curry said.