Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority has been – and remains – the health and safety of our people. Over the past few weeks, we have begun detailing the process of reopening our global plants and facilities, using lessons learned in China and around the world, along with insights gathered internally and externally, to shape our approach to returning to work. Today, we shared those same health and safety efforts with media as well as outlined in the material below.
DEARBORN – Ford today outlined its global health and safety protocols, sharing how best practices and input from around the world are helping to protect its workforce, dealers, customers and suppliers as it phases in the restart of its global plants.
The standards and precautions introduced this week expand on those used in Ford facilities in China, where work has already resumed, and in the U.S., where Ford has been manufacturing medical equipment for weeks. The people building those medical supplies have stayed safe and healthy by wearing face masks, face shields and other personal protection equipment, and maintaining at least 6 feet of space from other Ford people wherever possible.
“We’ve been working intently on how to restart our operations and safely bring back our employees and we’re ready,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s chief operating officer. “We have gone through and trialed these processes. We’re abiding by our first principles, and we are working with our union and government partners to restart. Getting back to work isn’t just good news for Ford employees. It’s also good news for our suppliers, car dealers and the ecosystems that provide services around them, like restaurants, shops and stores. This economic multiplier effect is going to help reboot communities around the globe.”
The automotive industry accounts for 6 percent of gross domestic product in the U.S. – more than 7 million jobs are dependent upon automakers, dealers and suppliers.
No automaker employs more hourly workers in the U.S. than Ford, which manufactures and exports more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. Last year Ford built more than 492,000 more vehicles in America than the next highest-producing automaker.
F-Series alone requires four U.S. plants, approximately 19,000 Ford employees and 2,000 U.S. suppliers – and generates an estimated $50.2 billion in global sales revenue annually. That’s more than the 2019 annual revenues of American Express, Coca-Cola, Cisco Systems and Delta Airlines.