Ford engine production will restart on May 18

Ford has revealed plans to reopen its UK engine factories next week under strict new health and safety procedures.

The firm’s engine facilities in Dagenham, Essex, and Bridgend, South Wales, will restart production on May 18. Another engine plant in Valencia, Spain, will also open next week, meaning all of Ford’s European manufacturing facilities will be back to work.

Ford says a limited number of employees have remained on site to keep ‘critical services’ going, and it will continue to build ventilator sub-assemblies for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium to support the NHS.

Employees returning to work will adhere to a strict set of standards on social distancing and employee health and safety, which is being implemented by Ford across the world. This includes mandatory face masks or shields, a body temperature check when entering a facility, daily wellness self-assessment, and redesigning of work areas to maintain social distancing.

Graham Hoare, Ford of Britain chairman, said: “As we return to work at our two engine plants in the UK, our key priority is the implementation of Ford’s global standards on social distancing and strengthened health and safety protocols to safeguard the well-being of our workforce.

“The past few months have been an extraordinary period for our business and our country, but throughout the pandemic Ford people have shown the strength of character that truly makes them the ‘Backbone of Britain’.

“From building sub-assemblies for the VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium at Dagenham, to manufacturing face masks at our Dunton Campus, and from loaning in excess of 200 vehicles to more than 40 organisations including 10 National Health Service ambulance trusts, to those in our workforce engaged in supporting their communities in a wide range of actions, Ford employees have made a valuable contribution to this country’s fight against coronavirus.”