The coronavirus pandemic has seen the manufacturing industry grind to a halt as transmission prevention measures are enforced. Most European factories have been shut for weeks with staff in the UK being furloughed. With some factories in German and Poland reopening later this month, Nissan are trialing a reaping of its Sunderland plant in the UK.
This isn’t a full-scale restart to production, instead just 50 employees will return to the factory this week to help trial a new method of working. The aim is to return production to the facility while protecting staff from COVID-19. The small group belong to the powertrain team and will take advantage of new health measures put in place. This pilot scheme will be monitored at every stage to check its effectiveness.
Nissan’s Sunderland factory has been closed since 17 March 2020, and no official date has been given for production to fully resume. Production at other Nissan manufacturing sites in Barcelona are set to resume on 4 May.
A Nissan statement reads: ‘Regular reviews will take place throughout each phase of this pilot, taking into account the feedback from the teams involved. This will inform the return to work protocols for the rest of the factory in the coming weeks.’ It continues ‘Our goal is to navigate through this crisis while maintaining activities critical for business continuity and to make sure we are prepared for the time when business resumes across Europe and we can welcome the Nissan team back to work.’
Nissan, like many other car manufacturers, is helping Europe’s fight against the spread of coronavirus. In the UK and Spain it has been producing and distributing essential personal protective equipment to frontline workers. Nissan’s Barcelona plant has also been building respirators for local hospitals.
Could this be the first sign of manufacturing returning to some degree of normality in the UK? We’ll have to wait and see.
Keyword: Nissan to restart production at Sunderland factory under new trial