Update: Firestone contractor tests positive for COVID-19, some co-workers quarantining

Firestone officials have confirmed that a contractor at the Williamsburg Firestone Industrial Products Plant has tested positive for COVID-19, and employees, who may have had contact with the affected contractor, will be directed to self-quarantine for 14 days and to contact their healthcare provider if they develop any symptoms, according to the company.

It is unclear how many employees are being required to self-quarantine as a result of the potential exposure.

Bridgestone of Americas Inc. Director of Communications Emily Weaver said that on May 8, Bridgestone Americas received confirmation of a contractor at the Williamsburg Firestone Industrial Products Plant testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The contractor is currently in isolation at home.

“We remain in contact with the contractor and all employees at the facility to provide clear direction and ensure their safety regarding this matter,” she said in a news release. “We were prepared for this and are following our rapid response plans developed through our Enterprise Crisis Management Team. This team has been monitoring the spread of the coronavirus and consulting federal, state and local officials, as well as health organizations to coordinate risk mitigation and business continuity strategies.”

“Out of an abundance of caution and to help ensure the continued safety and well-being of our employees, Firestone did a deep cleaning and disinfecting of the area of the facility where the contractor worked.”

During Monday’s monthly Williamsburg City Council meeting, which was held via Zoom, Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison shed a little bit more light onto the matter for the council.

Firestone officials are taking everyone’s temperature before they enter the building, and the worker in question had no fever when they went to work, Harrison said.

He said the worker got to feeling bad while at work later in the day, still had no fever, but went home. A couple of days later, the worker tested positive for COVID-19.

Harrison said that plant officials apparently contacted everyone, who worked on the same machine as the sick worker, which totaled about eight people. Those eight people were apparently told to quarantine.

Harrison said he has read on Facebook that some workers don’t want to be there because of the worker, who got sick, but it is his understanding that plant administration is taking all the precautions that they can.

Weaver said Firestone continues to monitor the situation closely and will adjust its response plan and activities, as necessary, in order to ensure the well being and safety of its employees and contractors.

The Williamsburg facility temporarily shut down on March 29 and resumed operations after April 12, as part of a national shut down of Firestone facilities after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Safety measures in place

Firestone has several safety measures in place at all active manufacturing locations in North America, the company said in a release.

Some enhanced safety measures being taken at Williamsburg include:

• All employees prior to start-up were contacted as a screening mechanism for COVID symptoms, exposure, or travel.
• Non-contact forehead temperature scanning of all personnel (clock, salaried, contractors, etc.) is being done on all people, who enter the plant. Employees who have a temperature per CDC guidelines or who state that they do not feel well are instructed to go home and call human resources for instructions.
• Increased cleaning supplies and employees are able to clean their equipment prior to shift start. There are also increased cleaning schedules for common areas of the plant.

Many of these safety measures were put in place several weeks ago, before the company’s temporary manufacturing shutdown and the company continues them today as it resumes operations at certain locations, the release added.

Memorial Day shutdown

Over the past several weeks, Bridgestone has implemented temporary phased shutdowns of its manufacturing facilities to align supply to predicted demand in the market.

“Several of our manufacturing facilities, including the Williamsburg Plant which reopened on April 13, have already resumed operations. We continue to monitor all aspects of our employee safety protocols and current business environment to determine future reopening activities at our other manufacturing facilities,” the release stated.

There are additional temporary shutdowns already planned at certain Bridgestone and Firestone manufacturing locations in the U.S. around the Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday periods.

The Williamsburg Plant plans to temporarily shut down around the Memorial Day holiday this year from May 24 through May 30 based on current demand in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“Bridgestone remains focused on safety first, while continuing to meet the needs of our customers with speed and efficiency. We have sufficient supply of product to meet customer demand and our distribution centers; plant warehouses and logistics teams continue to fill orders. We are monitoring this situation very closely and will adjust our business continuity response plans as needed,” Weaver said in the release.

The Williamsburg Firestone plant is the only remaining air-spring manufacturing plant in the United States, and as of 2018 produced 4.9 million plus air-springs.