With the number of deaths and confirmed cases increasing worldwide, it isn’t surprising that nearly all industries around the world have been gravely affected by the ongoing pandemic, and the manufacturing industry is no exception. Right from the get-go, the initial outbreak of the virus in China disrupted the global supply chain. For a budding manufacturing powerhouse, this reality affects India in a lot of different ways, both positively and negatively.
As explained in a previous post by Manish Kothari, the effects can include financial stress, material shortages, increased rates on the account of said shortages, possible project postponement, as well as the probable increase in localization and import substitution, which could boost plant and machinery investment.
While most industries are able to completely halt their operations, many in the manufacturing industry do not have this option, especially if they process essential goods. For those manufacturers, having a solid social distancing plan is crucial to ensuring the safety of their workers. Taking inspiration from protocols all over the world, here are some key social distancing guidelines manufacturing companies can employ:
Providing PPEs and Installing Physical Barriers
The most straightforward way to mitigate the spread of the virus within your facility is by providing your workers with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) such as reusable facemasks, face shields and gloves. According to the World Health Organization, the virus spreads from person to person through small droplets from the nose or the mouth. Given this, it is then highly encouraged that workers wear gear that will keep them from catching droplets from another person and inhibit them from touching surfaces or objects that may be contaminated by these droplets. Aside from providing PPEs, it’s also highly advisable to install physical barriers such as acrylic screens and partitions that will help employees maintain a distance of six feet from their coworkers at all times.
Using Wearable Monitoring Tech
Every manufacturing plant is different and some facilities may make physical barriers impossible to install. In this case, investing in social distancing tech such as Proximity Trace might be your best option. This tool is a wearable device that emits an alarm if the wearer comes within six feet of another employee and lists the workers who came in contact with each other. These features make this device useful not only in preventing contact among workers but also in contact tracing in case someone has been infected.
Introducing Work-From-Home whenever Possible
While it may not be possible for all factory workers, instituting work from home policies can help discourage the spread of the virus, especially for those who are involved in virtual aspects of manufacturing. Moving things online and providing regular safety updates to workers is essential to ensure that they’re aware of current guidelines. Invest in a platform that lets you ensure that your company website, SharePoint, and other CMS are up to date. A flexible website editor is recommended by Updatable as it enables you to update your copy, capitalize on new trends, and make key announcements. It is vital that your company puts great importance into ensuring that communication lines remain open. In line with this, creating social media movements such as Kraft Heinz’s use of the hashtag “#WeGotYouAmerica” can help boost morale for factory workers and their communities.
Ensuring Cleanliness
As mentioned, individuals can contract the virus by touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching their faces. In order to slow the spread of the disease in this manner, keeping your facilities clean is a must. An article by The Economic Times reported how the government is already working on a standard operating procedure (SOP) for workplaces to ensure that hygiene considerations on the account of the ongoing pandemic will be strictly followed in every workplace. While you wait for the SOP to be finalized, you can ensure cleanliness in your plant by ramping up cleaning efforts, wiping down surfaces as often as possible and putting up signage that promote hand washing.