Lear creates, shares return-to-work playbook

Southfield, Michigan – While auto plants remain closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, manufacturers are evaluating inventory levels, planning target restart dates, and retooling facilities to produce medical equipment, face shields, and other pieces of emergency gear.

Looking to what happens when the crisis abates and people head back to factories, seating and e-systems manufacturer Lear Corp. has produced a guidebook to safely restarting production, and the company is sharing it with anyone who’s interested in the processes it has developed.

“We created this Safe Work Playbook to proactively address the unique challenges of resuming our operations, when it is safe to do so, following an extended work stoppage caused by COVID-19,” said Lear President and CEO Ray Scott. “Tapping our global Operations, Human Resources, Employee Health and Safety, Information Technology, and Communications teams, the playbook lays out processes to raise awareness of new health and well-being protocols.”

The free 51-page manual includes step-by-step instructions on determining what protective equipment employees will need, what materials will need to be in plants before large numbers of workers return to facilities, social distancing protocols, suggested training plans, and other resources that some companies may need, especially if health officials continue to urge avoiding crowded environments.

Businesses that have been providing essential services and continuing to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic may particularly benefit from the content.

The Safe Work Playbook includes practical recommendations based on CDC guidelines that could be tailored by businesses to address various scenarios they may face when returning to work. It will be modified and updated with learnings and input received from Lear employees and external sources – serving as a centralized resource for pandemic response and preparation.

“This has been a difficult time for everyone, and reestablishing a workplace where employees feel comfortable performing their jobs safely is a multi-faceted challenge,” Scott said. “Our cross-functional team has poured many hours into creating this playbook with one goal in mind – keeping our teams as safe, prepared and informed as possible. It is our hope that by sharing this resource, we can help other organizations accomplish the same goals.”