Nissan resumes production at Sunderland after coronavirus lockdown

A new Nissan Juke was the first car off the line.

The firm has carried out hundreds of hours of preparation to ensure the safe return of employees.

Every operation across the plant has been rigorously risk assessed to make sure it is safe, with more than 5,000 processes reviewed to ensure safety at all times.

Nissan announced in March that it was suspending production, with the 7,000 workforce placed on the Government’s furlough scheme.

The firm held a pilot scheme at the end of April which saw around 50 staff working on the Powertrain line return to the plant.

Alan Johnson, Nissan vice president for manufacturing in the UK, said: “It’s great to see cars rolling off the line at the plant again, including the new Nissan Juke.

“It’s a testament to the skill and dedication of the team here that we have been able to get back up and running again, with a full set of safety measures in place.”

Improved safety measures include new separation between operators, such as screens, barriers and dividers, as well as one way systems across the site.

Rest areas have been redesigned and break times rescheduled to support social distancing and remove common touchpoints.

Staff will be provided with all the necessary Personal Protection Equipment they need to operate safely.

With cars due to be shipped to customers across Europe, new health and safety measures have also been introduced across the dealer network in line with government recommendations. These include guidance on social distancing procedures, additional safety equipment and hygiene regulations.

Thanks to the application of those, Nissan has fully opened more than 95% of its dealer network across Europe.

Showrooms in Baltics, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine are fully open.

Showrooms in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom are nearly all open and dealers in Russia partially open.

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