Operations have resumed at Boeing facilities in the Puget Sound region and Moses Lake. This follows a multi-week suspension of manufacturing operations to protect and maintain the health and safety of all those who build, support and rely on our products and services.
During the suspension, Boeing benchmarked other manufacturing companies and analyzed federal and state health guidelines to put measures in place to protect employees’ health and safety. Subsequently, Boeing is undertaking a safe and phased restart of production operations designed to protect employees and allow Boeing to continue our work supporting the global transportation infrastructure and national defense, a role that has been deemed critical to our nation’s infrastructure by the federal government. Some of the enhanced safeguards and processes that have been implemented include:
Requiring face masks or coverings
Employees who are able to telecommute continuing to do so unless instructed otherwise by their manager
Using gloves when handling materials, parts and hand tools
Offering voluntary temperature screenings via no-touch thermal scanners Staggering shift times Encouraging virtual meetings
Suspending VIP and public tours
Limiting capacity on site shuttles Installing visual controls to reinforce physical distancing
Asking employees to perform self-health checks before coming to work, including temperature screening, and to stay home if they are ill
Enhancing procedures in cafeterias including replacing self-serve stations with prepackaged foods and adjusting dining areas to allow for more physical distancing
Boeing Steps Up
Boeing is committed to supporting our communities, especially our health care professionals, during this unprecedented time. Even as Puget Sound operations were suspended, the company found innovative opportunities to use our unique resources to assist in the battle against COVID-19.
Boeing is providing airlift capabilities, including the use of numerous Boeing aircraft including the ecoDemonstrator and the Boeing Dreamlifter, one of the largest cargo carriers in the world, to help FEMA transport critical and urgently needed supplies to health care professionals. (Photo courtesy of the New Hampshire governor’s office.)
Boeing has activated its additive manufacturing network around the country, including several sites here in the Puget Sound, to 3D-print face shields. The face shield design includes a 3D printed frame with an adjustable headband that allows a clear plastic face shield to be easily snapped onto the frame. The company is working to produce several thousand a week.
Additionally, Boeing has donated tens of thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks, goggles, suits, gloves, and safety glasses to support health care professionals in local communities. We continue to identify additional available supplies to respond to community needs while also ensuring that our employees have necessary equipment to be safe at work.
With millions of children currently out of school due to COVID-19, Boeing is showcasing the free, online videos and lessons available through FUTURE U, a collaboration between Boeing and Discovery Education. Check out the innovative and inspiring resources at https://www.boeingfutureu.com/.
