As the automotive industry slowly pulls out of coronavirus-induced shutdowns, Nissan is the latest to announce its plans to reboot its U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. Starting next Monday, June 1, the company said it would start its assembly plants back up using a phased approach, with new health and safety protocols in place to curb further spread of COVID-19.
As part of its “Safe Start-Up Playbook“, Nissan will stagger reopening its plants throughout early next month. On June 1, the automaker will reopen its Canton, Mississippi assembly plant as well as its Decherd, Tennessee powertrain plant, shown above. The following Monday, on June 8, the Smyrna, Tennessee assembly plant will reopen.
Nissan says it will follow best practices put forward by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). As with other automakers, those practices include enhanced disinfection protocols, distribution of personal protective equipment like masks and face shields, and workstation modification. The company will also stagger shift times and breaks, as well as reduce job rotations to maintain social distancing.
As of May 27, Mississippi has seen nearly 14,000 coronavirus cases, while Tennessee has reported nearly 20,000 cases in the past two months. Steve Marsh, Nissan North America’s senior vice president for Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management and Purchasing, said of the reopening, “We have planned our manufacturing restart with care, mindful that the impact of COVID-19 continues. Our first priority is to implement thorough protocols so employees are confident the necessary precautions have been taken to ensure their safety in the workplace.”
