Michelin introduces health protocol as operations restart

CLERMONT-FERRAND, France—Michelin continues to move toward fully reopening its facilities globally. And when it does, the tire maker said the health and safety of employees will remain its top priority.

Michelin's occupational health and safety experts have issued protocol for all of its industrial sites, which have begun gradually ramping up activity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The guidelines, Michelin said, "often go beyond the requirements issued by international and governmental health authorities."

The plan, according to a document released by Michelin April 27, incorporates four key points: training employees; increased cleaning throughout the facility; frequent hand washing; and routinely disinfecting work stations.

Many of the guidelines included in the document Michelin issued, are based on the practices that were put in place when the tire maker resumed operations across Asia. That experience, coupled with "with best internal practices and external benchmarks from companies, federations and health authorities," has helped to form a plan for safely reopening facilities in Europe, India and North America.

"The protocol is the framework that must be applied everywhere we operate," Jean-Claude Gallet, Michelin's director of group occupational health and safety said in a news release. "It was drawn up to enable the group to resume its activity safely and confidently wherever possible, at the appropriate pace for each situation."

Michelin said the safety plan takes into account the availability of some health and safety equipment, as well as the individual needs of each workplace. It also has created 23 visual aides to help employees adhere to the safety practices, such as the 10 Golden Rules for Collective Safety or minimizing the personal items in their work space to help maximize the ability to disinfect the area.

"If all safety criteria are met and demand is sufficient, our plants must continue to operate or gradually ramp up operations in order to contribute, with others, to the reopening of the economy, without ever trading off economic activity against the absolute priority of our employees' health," Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux said in a statement.