vehicle manufacturing

Contributed by ABM

In the early months of the pandemic, 93 percent of all U.S. auto production came to a halt. As demand has risen, employee absenteeism threatens auto manufacturers’ ability to meet production needs. In today’s world of interconnected global manufacturing, when one plant shuts down, it can have a ripple effect throughout the supply chain. Reducing absenteeism by creating healthier facilities is critical to meeting production schedules.

How to Implement the Right Disinfection Program

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have released guidance to help employers create healthy facilities. The challenge is in applying their guidance to a facility. It’s advisable that managers work with a vendor that has the resources to keep up with guidance from leading health and safety organizations, as well as access to the equipment and supplies to reliably implement new disinfection protocols.

The ideal vendor should combine cleaning and disinfection best practices, guidance from experts in infectious disease and industrial hygiene, and knowledge of the demands of automotive manufacturing. They should offer a multi-step approach starting with an assessment that helps managers reopen or reset operations.

The assessment gives departments and the vendor a chance to identify opportunities to implement new equipment (such as touchless fixtures) and properly set the scope of the disinfection program. Following the assessment, the facility will need frequent disinfection of high-touch points and ongoing broader disinfection. A vendor with knowledge in the areas outlined above will be able to implement those protocols while maintaining uptime as much as possible.

In addition to the processes implemented in the facility, the vendor should have a documented, established program that is certified to ensure consistency. The certification process should cover employee training, equipment, supplies and processes.

COVID-19 has driven everyone to rethink the way they look at the spaces they occupy. Partnering with an expert in auto manufacturing and disinfection protocols can help foster employee safety and meet production demands.

Article contributed by Lane Williams, vice president of Sales at ABM.