In response to the COVID-19 crisis in India, spurred on by a second wave of cases, Nissan has contributed USD 895,000 to the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Relief Fund, over USD 34,500 to the Tamil Nadu CM Relief Fund and over USD 590,000 for COVID-19 relief equipment, masks, and PPE Kits.
Globally, the company has taken steps to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of its employees and their families, as well as the communities in which it operates in. Driven by its people first culture, in April Nissan introduced the free use of its technology for a body temperature and health management system created and implemented at plants in Japan.
Developed in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19, the system uses either a contactless thermometer or a thermo-camera to take measurements of employees’ body temperatures as they enter a facility, ultimately reducing data entry errors.
In an effort to help control the spread of COVID-19, Nissan licensed the low-cost technology under the terms of the IP Open Access Declaration Against COVID-19 which the company joined in May 2020. The licenses were issued for multiple products being developed by Chino Corp. and Seiko NPC Corp. and Nissan’s technology is being used to develop, manufacture, and sell non-contact body surface temperature measuring devices that enable communities to detect high body surface temperatures more efficiently.
In India, as part of the relief equipment support with the start of the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis, Nissan has over the last few months distributed N-95 masks, PPE kits, oxygen concentrators, portable ECG machines, X-ray machines, pulse oximeters and nasal oxygen machines in Delhi NCR & Chennai.
Additionally, in partnership with the World Community Service Centre, Nissan is distributing cooked food packets to migrant workers and the needy to solve the rising hunger crisis during the lockdown period.
Commenting on the initiative, Rakesh Srivastava, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India said “Safety & well-being of the society, customers, partners and employees is paramount. Towards this, multiple initiatives are being taken with the Government authorities & NGOs towards ensuring the same.”
Keeping in mind the challenges of the second wave, Nissan continues to heighten COVID-19 health and safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) at its manufacturing plant, offices and dealerships to curb the spread of the virus. Moreover, with the help of local government Primary Health Centres (PHCs), most employees and contractors at the manufacturing plant and their families will be administered vaccines, whilst employees who are 45 years old and above have been administered their second dose.
Nissan India has also distributed COVID-19 kits, increased insurance amounts, and secured beds, oxygen concentrators and ventilators in nearby hospitals to support employees and their families through these trying times. Nissan has also imported a few ventilators from Europe that have been provided to nearby hospitals.
Speaking on the initiatives, Biju Balendran, Managing Director, RNAIPL, said “The health and safety of our communities, partners and employees is our topmost priority. We continue to take the necessary steps to safeguarding their well-being by closely and strictly adhering to all local government guidelines on health and safety parameters. In addition to this, we are committed to meeting their needs through constant CSR outreach in our local communities, with more initiatives to come.”
Nissan has prioritised the safety of its employees by carrying out structural changes including limiting occupancy in transport vehicles and canteens to 50%, removing the need for fingerprint scanners within the biometric attendance system, and introducing a ‘COVID-19 key’ to avoid the need to touch any buttons, doors or other common surface areas.
Nissan continues to practice social distancing through markings that have been laid out across all areas, sanitising conveyance and production vehicles in its vicinity, using a foot-operated pedal system for water and sanitiser dispensers, ensuring the disposal of used masks in designated yellow bins. Additionally, windows and doors are kept open to promote fresh air and ventilation, and support function workers are encouraged to work from home.
To strengthen awareness of its COVID-19 safety initiatives among employees, Nissan has introduced compulsory online training modules and on-the-ground trainings with certified trainers on health and safety SOPs. An emergency response team of COVID-19 marshals has also been set up at the manufacturing plant to monitor, address and ensure the safety of its employees.