Industries that have been shuttered due to coronavirus concerns are eager to get restarted, but how to protect workers and avoid spreading the disease? According to a report in Automotive News, Ford may have a novel answer: wristbands that warn workers when they’re within six feet of each other.
According to a Ford spokesperson, the company is working with the UAW on the social-distancing device and other protocols for when its factories eventually reopen. “Ford and the UAW are working closely to identify different ways to keep our people safe while they’re at work,” said Kelli Felker.
The wristbands, which buzz when workers get closer than six feet, are being tested by a dozen workers at a Ford facility in Plymouth, Michigan. Masks and face shields may also be employed. According to the report, the wearable devices are just part of the new procedures the company is expected to deploy to protect its assembly workers, with other components being daily surveys of workers’ health and thermal-imaging scanning to detect fevers.
Ford factories could re-open as early as next month, although the company so far has not set a specific date.
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