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Boeing (Chicago, Ill., U.S.) reported on April 27 that it will resume 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC), with most employees returning on May 3 or May 4. The return includes all operations that were temporarily suspended on April 8 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Boeing, managers will contact each employee returning to work with report date and shift information, and says that team members who are not contacted should not return to the site until contacted by their manager to do so. Employees who are able to work from home should continue to do so.

Senior leaders will return on Thursday, April 30, and managers will return on Friday, May 1, to prepare for the operations resumption. BSC employees will return to work beginning with third shift on Sunday, May 3. First and second shift team members will return to work on Monday, May 4.

“The health and safety of our teammates, their families and our community is our shared priority,” says Brad Zaback, Boeing South Carolina site leader and 787 vice president and general manager. “Our approach to resumption of operations ensures we honor that priority by ensuring personal protective equipment is readily available and that all necessary safety measures are in place to resume essential work for our customers and prioritize the health and safety of our team. We have also taken the necessary steps to ensure a steady supply base for our operations.”

 

 

According to Boeing, BSC has taken additional precautions and instituted comprehensive procedures to prepare the work environment and ensure the health and safety of its employees. These measures include:

• Enhancing cleaning of all buildings, including pressure washing of restrooms and thorough cleaning of break areas, cafeterias, conference rooms and other community spaces.
• Posting of signage throughout the site to help keep enhanced cleanliness top-of-mind.
• Adding new hand sanitization stations across the site.
• Installing visual cues to reinforce physical distancing practices particularly in conference rooms, cafes and other community spaces.
• Encouraging all teammates to bring and wear cloth face coverings. Some teammates will be required to wear procedural masks, which will be provided, in certain areas when working in close proximity. 
• Making voluntary temperature screening stations available for teammates on all shifts via no-touch thermal scanners.

Boeing says that it will continue to monitor guidance on COVID-19, evaluate impact on company operations and adjust plans as the situation evolves.

On April 16, Boeing announced that commercial airplane production at its facilities in the Puget Sound area of Washington state would resume operations in phases the week of April 19.