Nissan Sunderland plant on 8 June restarted vehicle production after nearly three months, with a new Nissan Juke the first car off the line.
Hundreds of hours of preparation have been conducted to ensure the safe return of workers.
Every operation throughout the plant has been rigorously risk assessed to ensure it’s safe, with over 5,000 processes reviewed to ensure safety at all times.
The government and automakers had enforced shutdowns of factories to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alan Johnson, Nissan Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK stated: “It’s great to see cars rolling off the line at the plant again, including the new Nissan Juke.
“It’s a testament to the skill and dedication of the team here that we have been able to get back up and running again, with a full set of safety measures in place.”
Improved safety measures consists of new separation between operators, such as screens, barriers and dividers, and also one way systems across the site.
Rest areas have been remodified and break times rescheduled to support social distancing and eliminate common touchpoints. Staff will be provided with all the needful PPE they require to operate safely.
With cars due to be shipped to consumers throughout Europe, new health and safety measures have been introduced throughout the dealer network in line with government recommendations. These consists of guidance on social distancing procedures, extra safety equipment and hygiene regulations.
Thanks to the application of those, Nissan has completely started more than 95% of its dealer network throughout Europe. Showrooms in Baltics, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine have been wholly opened. Showrooms located in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom are almost all open and dealers in Russia partially open.
