Aston Martin was one of the first UK vehicle makers to resume car production on Tuesday following six weeks of factory closures due to Cov...
Aston Martin was one of the first UK vehicle makers to resume car production on Tuesday following six weeks of factory closures due to Covid-19.
Images taken inside the famed motor firm's state-of-the-art St Athan factory in Wales show some of the new measures in place as part of social-distancing and to adhere to guidance to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
From temperature scans on arrival to face masks and two-metre distancing, this is the first glimpse of how manufacturing in Britain will look in the wake of the pandemic.
Coronavirus car making: An Aston Martin employee scrutinises one of the first DBX crossover models coming off the production line since the St Athan factory reopened on Tuesday
The British car maker says it has been working closely with the trade unions to develop 'detailed return-to-work protocols' for all workers to follow on return to the manufacturing facility in Wales.
It is the second UK car maker to reopen its doors to employees this week, following Rolls-Royce's decision to partially resume operations at its home in Goodwood near Chichester on Monday.
St Athan, the brand's latest £200million production base, is the home of the new DBX crossover - Aston Martin's first-ever SUV and a car it has pinned its hopes on after being hit by a string of profit warnings that caused its share price to tumble.
Production workers at the company's global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire - where cars like the DB11, Vanquish, Rapide, and Vantage are produced - will follow at a later date, as will office and support staff at Aston Martin Lagonda's various other UK sites.
Aston Martin says it is carefully calculating limits on employee numbers on site working at any given time
Each member of staff is temperature scanned on arrival to the St Athan factory to ensure none are showing symptoms of the virus
Aston Martin is eager to restart outputs of the DBX crossover - its first SUV model ever. Following a string of financial issues, the British luxury car brand is pinning its hopes on the family-friendly model to boost sales
Photographs snapped from the St Athan factory have been released to show the 'meticulously planned' site operating procedures the luxury car maker has imposed to protect individual staff members, their colleagues, their families and the wider community.
'The social distancing, health and hygiene instructions cover every aspect of a staff member's interaction with work from preparing to leave home to arriving on site; navigating the site; breaks and mealtimes; falling ill whilst at work; dealing with visitors and contractors; and leaving the site. There is also detailed guidance on PPE management; travel between Aston Martin Lagonda sites; and pool car arrangements,' the British brand explained.
It's the first insider view of the catalogue of actions and instructions that manufacturers in Britain will need to draw up to support social distancing.
Aston Martin says it has carefully calculated limits on employee numbers on site working at any given time, providing appropriate PPE and putting in place temperature checks on arrival at work to ensure the staff are not showing signs of the virus.
Work stations are separated by two metres in accordance with the Government's social-distancing guidelines
The Welsh plant was planned to make around 7,000 cars per year, the same number as Gaydon. However, outputs are likely to drop in the wake of weeks of closure and partial production in the weeks following operations restarting
Photos snapped from the St Athan factory have been released to show the 'meticulously planned' site operating procedures the luxury car maker has imposed to protect individual staff members
Scott Ward, director of manufacturing at Aston Martin Lagonda's St Athan site, said: 'The safety and ongoing good health of our staff is absolutely paramount in our thinking as we slowly and carefully return to car building.
'The arrangements we have put in place here for our phased return to work as we continue to build the brand's first SUV – the highly anticipated DBX – are designed to support the health and safety of staff while, of course, doing everything we can to ensure we do not add to the burden already being borne by the incredibly dedicated frontline staff of the NHS.'
Philip Reardon from Unite Wales added: 'Unite the Union is working closely with Aston Martin Lagonda to ensure, above all, a safe return to work for all staff as the business looks to move on from the lockdown phase.
'In doing so, our members are supporting the shared desire to deliver a sustainable business for all those working not only at St Athan but across the Aston Martin business in the UK.'
Aston Martin is the second UK car maker to resume operations following the Covid-19 pandemic. It restarted operation on Tuesday - a day after Rolls-Royce workers returned to the Goodwood plant
Pool car arrangements have been made to help workers get to and from the production facility while the lockdown is still in place
Aaton Martin is providing PPE - namely face masks - to workers. The car maker has been producing PPE for the NHS in the weeks it hasn't been allowed to manufacture vehicles
While some Rolls-Royce workers have been back building bespoke cars since Monday, Bentley has delayed a return to assembly lines for its staff in Crewe until a week later.
It will introduce a set of around 250 'comprehensive and wide-ranging' new hygiene and social distancing measures under a phased return to production at the company's headquarters from May 11, with full production anticipated to resume on May 18.
Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's biggest car producer, has also set out plans to 'gradually' restart production on May 18, making it the first mainstream vehicle maker to kickstart post-Covid-19 production.
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