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London-area manufacturers keep COVID in check as business booms

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The tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ben Whitney hard.

The president of two manufacturing plants in London recalls interviewing a prospective employee in February.

In April, the person died after contracting COVID-19.

“It was a huge wake-up call. The gentleman passed away,” said Whitney, president of Armo-Tool and Abuma Manufacturing.

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“Because I had this experience, we went to mandatory masks early. In the summer our people were tired of them and wanted to stop wearing them. The numbers were down, but we stuck to our guns.”

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Whitney is not alone in taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously.

Factory floors in London and area have avoided major outbreaks, said Jason Bates, general manager of the London Region Manufacturing Council.

“Overall, they have done an amazing job of keeping people safe,” he said. “They have done what they need to do.”

The pandemic hit the services sector hard. Business is down at hotels and restaurants, but the goods sector is swamped and automotive production is booming.

It is a sector critical to the economy, with about 34,000 people working in manufacturing in London and region. Along with automotive, the food and beverage sector is hiring, building material suppliers have seen sales spike and some firms are making pandemic-related products, such as hand sanitizers, ventilators and protective equipment.

The Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development office estimates the manufacturing sector has added about 2,000 jobs this year.

River Peter, a worker at Armo Tools on Admiral Drive, grinds a metal base that will be used to allow a customer to more easily move components into the brake line bender behind Peter. Brake line benders are made up of hydraulic rams that precisely bend materials into the correct form. Armo Tools has been rigorous in dealing with COVID-19 to keep its workers healthy and to be able to finish contracts on time. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)
River Peter, a worker at Armo Tools on Admiral Drive, grinds a metal base that will be used to allow a customer to more easily move components into the brake line bender behind Peter. Brake line benders are made up of hydraulic rams that precisely bend materials into the correct form. Armo Tools has been rigorous in dealing with COVID-19 to keep its workers healthy and to be able to finish contracts on time. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press)

Abuma and Armo-Tool employ about 170 people at two locations. The companies follow safety measures, such as social distancing, cleaning, installing plastic barriers and sanitizing, Whitney said.

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The reason manufacturers take the COVID virus seriously is simple.

“The stakes are really high. Our plant will stop if we have to send people home. We are doing all we can,” Whitney said.

“We managed to avoid having any workplace transmissions. There has been nothing at work. We have to do this. We cannot machine from home.”

Magna International — with Presstran and Formet plants in St. Thomas and Qualtech Seatings in London — is one of the busiest manufacturers in the area with 20 jobs posted.

It created procedures in April to deal with COVID-19 that it will share with other businesses looking for help, said Scott Worden, spokesperson for Magna International.

“Our team has worked very hard and we have a robust, well-developed playbook on how to bring people back to work and balance health and safety and the need to produce, to keep the economy going,” he said.

“It is not perfect. We have had positive cases at Magna, but we have been able to keep it to a minimum.”


What happens when a COVID-19 case is reported in a manufacturing plant?

The London Region Manufacturing Council reported recently how a case of COVID-19 in an area plant was handled by the Ministry of Labour.

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  • The plant reported the case to the ministry as a precaution because public health officials did not know if it was a work-related transmission.
  • Ministry of Labour officials questioned COVID-19 procedures and training and inspected the area where the sick employee worked and other areas.
  • Ministry officials suggested employees and visitors use hand sanitizer and wash hands at entrances.
  • Government posters were encouraged.
  • Management was told to add markings to encourage physical distancing in boardroom and lunchroom areas to show where tables and chairs should be and where people should sit.
  • Masks alone are not considered protective equipment. Masks with safety glasses provide droplet protection and are considered PPE. Also, face shields alone are not acceptable.

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