In the UK, the SMMT announced safe restart guidance this week, specifically for the Automotive Manufacturing sector. Manufacturers UK-wide began this week to welcome back the workforce with comprehensive guidelines and safety measures covering work locations, inbound and outbound logistics, offices, and access points.
The SMMT, whom we work closely with at AMCO, developed the guidelines in consultation with OEMs, vehicle, and supply chain manufacturers. The SMMT developed these guidelines to complement government guidance for the UK manufacturing industries and to help automotive manufacturers complete a risk assessment and implement legal requirements in line with their individual requirements.
SMMT chief Mike Hawes said, “Government measures to support the critical Automotive Industry during the crisis have provided an essential lifeline, and the sector is now ready to return to work to help the UK rebuild.”
The Automotive sector is the UK’s largest single exporter of goods and AMCO’s largest customer sector. It trades with over 150 countries and makes up over 14% of the UK’s total export business. The sector employs nearly 180,000 people and delivers an annual £18.6 billion to the public purse, making it one of the UK’s most valuable economic assets.
AMCO works across multiple sectors, with Automotive as a specialism and representing a large percentage of its turnover. Back to work and gearing up for a new normal is the focus of AMCO, but as a flexible and talented business, we can work across multiple sectors with a wide variety of customer types.
Kia has announced that all UK showrooms, service centres and MOT centres will open on 1st June and that all dealerships have introduced new H&S measures in line with UK government requirements.
Ford has resumed production at its UK engine plants in Dagenham and Bridgend, and new social distancing and safety measures have been implemented.
This week, AMCO customer Jaguar Land Rover completed production of the first Range Rover made under new social distancing measures at its reopened Solihull factory.
JLR‘s factories in Graz, Austria, and Nitra, Slovakia, also resumed production this week, and the Halewood plant is due to resume on 8 June.
Another AMCO customer, Bentley, has published its COVID-19 risk assessment as it prepares to ramp up production at its Crewe factory further.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance announces a major restructuring of the agreement between the three car firms. Each firm will focus on key regions and technologies.
Honda is set to resume production at its Swindon factory in June with new safety measures.