Tesla Giga Nevada located in Sparks, Nevada, will officially reopen for business on May 4, according to Mike Kazmierski, the President and CEO of Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. Giga Nevada will join other company production plants located in Fremont, California, and Buffalo, New York, in opening on May 4.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has required new guidelines for Tesla to implement to keep employees safe. These measures include the imperative wearing of masks and disposable gloves, the implementation of social distancing measures, and the frequent disinfecting of work stations that are considered “high-touch.”
Tesla will also require workers to have their temperatures taken before entering the facility. The company will use infrared thermometers will take the worker’s temperatures. The use of this type of thermometer allows for accurate readings in a non-contact fashion, as the device does not have to enter an employees mouth for a correct interpretation. If an employee has a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, they will be required to return home.
Furthermore, if a confirmed case of COVID-19 appears at the company’s facility, the employee will be interviewed and will have their whereabouts investigated to determine what other workers could be infected. If the positively tested employee has had direct and extended contact with another employee, Tesla will also interview that worker. They will then be required to self-quarantine and watch for symptoms. This measure is a protocol implemented by Tesla, according to ABC affiliate KOLO 8 in Reno, Nevada.
Janitors and custodial staff at Giga Nevada will also be disinfecting door handles and push bars before and after shift changes. Cleaning the main entrance will occur every hour. Additionally, employees will be supplied with hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes upon entering the building.
Transportation shuttles are going to be allowed to reach up to 30 percent capacity. The additional room on the employee shuttles will enable seats to remain empty, giving workers the ability to sit at least six feet apart. Tesla’s Chinese production facility Giga Shanghai also used this measure upon the plant’s reopening on February 10.
Tesla’s employee cafeteria is closed for face-to-face ordering, and all food has to be ordered through an online service.
Giga Nevada currently produces electric motors and battery packs for the company’s Model 3 sedan, Powerwalls, and Powerpacks. The reopening of Tesla’s United States-based production facilities could allow the company to continue its dominating run on Wall Street. Also, Tesla can begin a strong push toward making production and delivery rates for the second quarter of 2020 even better than the first, where the electric automaker posted its strongest start to a calendar year in its short but rich history.