NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEPT 7
Organisations with manufacturing plants in Maneja industrial area near have been more vigilant and cautious about the safety and well-being of their blue-collared employees owing to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and unlock.
The unlock phase in India started in June with guidelines from the centre and state authorities. It was these phases that gave a relief to the economy that was taking a beating due to the lockdown. Organisations with manufacturing plants opened in a staggered manner to ensure that they were able to continue production and cater to the market needs.
At Schaeffler India’s Maneja plant, being one of the largest facilities, the company has implemented a number of safety measures as stipulated by both central and state governments.
“No entry without a self-declaration of self and family health condition and status of residence address classification. i.e. containment / non-containment zones. Reorganizing workforce in shop floors in smaller clusters with a designated person in each cluster to monitor strict adherence of safety protocols and instructions for safe operations. Over 50 sanitizer dispensing kiosks are evenly distributed across all shop floor and office space entry points. Distribution of reusable cloth masks for each and every employee,” says a company official.
Further, social distancing markers and guidance on safety protocols at all common points i.e. entrance, cafeteria, restroom facilities, etc. Installation of partition screens as an additional safety measure on the cafeteria to ensure the protection of staff. Plant level entry and exit route revised to maintain safe social distancing during entry and exit. Regular communication and visual references for all safety protocols, the official added.
Under these extraordinary circumstances, the company has also provided additional Covid19 insurance cover for all employees, including shop floor and production staff.
At Schaeffler India, they have moved from lean manufacturing and tight working layouts to working in clusters to ensure that there is less interaction between employees. Each of these clusters has a designated person to monitor strict adherence to safety protocols. Many such measures have been undertaken and operating models updated based on COVID Unlock.
Maneja is a manufacturing hub of Gujarat and houses many plants in Vadodara. Companies like Schaeffler India (FAG Bearings), Bombardier, ABB, etc have their plants in Maneja. These organisations have been taking the utmost care to ensure that they are able to respond to their customer requirements along with taking care of employee safety and health. Most organisations have a Crisis Management Team or a COVID 19 Corporate Task Force team to ensure that they have been mapping daily cases and developing response reactions to the rising number of cases.
Organisations have been working very hard to ensure employee safety and at the same time keeping employability in place.
