Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has released a list of safety protocols that will be in place when production starts next week at its North American facilities, including the Windsor Assembly Plant.
The statement from FCA said best practices from its operations in China and Italy are helping guide safety protocols.
The plant shut down in March, and since then, the company has issued dates to work towards, first May 4 and then May 15. Head of Communications, Lou Ann Gosselin told BlackburnNews.com the plant in Windsor would reopen May 19.
"Most U.S. and Canadian assembly plants are expected to resume operations the week of May 18," she wrote in an email. May 18 is a statutory holiday in Ontario, so work at the Windsor Assembly Plant will start the next day.
FCA said it has cleaned and disinfected more than 57-million square feet of production floor, and daily cleaning schedules will be instituted to ensure employees are not infected with COVID-19 while working. All employees and visitors will have to undergo temperature checks and daily health self-screening. Workers will also have to wear personal protective equipment like masks and safety glasses.
One of the biggest challenges facing the automaker is how to maintain social distancing. Workers often work side-by-side on the line. Fiat Chrysler said it has analyzed 17,000 workstations across its facilities and redesigned or modified 4,700 of them.
Start times, break times, and lunch breaks will be staggered to ensure social distancing when workers are not on the line.
Finally, the company said it had notified all 47,000 workers, including about 6,000 at the Windsor facility, of the measures it has taken to protect their safety.
"The plan has been developed following continuous discussions with the unions -- the UAW, Unifor and Section 23 CTM -- as well as local governments," Gosselin's email continued. "FCA remains focused on implementing robust protocols that will make our employees feel confident that all precautions have been taken to ensure our facilities are safe, secure and disinfected when production resumes."
Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy toured the Windsor facility last Friday.
In March, some employees at the Windsor plant refused to work over concerns of contracting COVID-19. The Ministry of Labour inspected the plant on March 12.
