(April 6, 2020) KOKOMO,  Ind. — General Motors Co. is actively training employees at the company’s Kokomo plant in the extensive screening, cleaning and other CDC-recommended procedures that will be in place when volume production of Ventec Life Systems’ critical care ventilator begins in less than two weeks. Among the employees is UAW Local 292 member Debbie Hollis of Kokomo.

“I have family all across the country, so (COVID-19) has impacted everybody that I know and love,” Hollis said. “I’m grateful that I get a chance to do my part and be a part of something...we are modern-day Rosie the Riveters.”

Hollis and the production team, which will grow to more than 1,000 men and women, including people who already work for GM and new hires from the Kokomo area, are also gaining hands-on exposure to Ventec’s ventilator.

“Every ventilator we build can help save lives, and GM’s global supply base and manufacturing teams, the UAW, and the Kokomo community are working with passion and unwavering commitment to get the job done,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president, Global Manufacturing. “People have moved mountains to help increase production of Ventec’s critical care ventilator and we are just weeks away from delivering these lifesaving devices. I have never seen anything like it in my career.”

Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore said his community is more than ready to do its part, “At this critical moment in our country’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kokomo community applauds GM and Ventec leadership for joining the fight by producing much-needed medical ventilators here in their Kokomo facilities. At the same time, they have placed their trust in our community and the incredible Kokomo-area workforce. Kokomo is deeply honored to be a part of this extraordinary endeavor in these extraordinary times.”

To help protect people working at the Kokomo plant, extensive screening, cleaning and other CDC-recommended procedures will be in place.

Arrival for Work:
    •    Everyone arriving for work will be required to sanitize their hands immediately upon arrival and have their temperature checked with a non-contact thermometer before entering the job site.
    •    Everyone will work their shift wearing medical-grade protective masks, including masks produced at GM’s Warren, Michigan facility.

At Work:
    •    There will be a 30-minute interval between shifts to allow employees to clean their workstations when they arrive and again before they leave.
    •    There will be signage throughout the facility reminding team members to practice social distancing.
    •    Each workstation will be manned by one person, and each workstation will be spaced at least six feet apart.
    •    Cleaning crews will clean and sanitize common touch surfaces such as door handles, as well as common areas, at least three times per shift.

Between Shifts:
    •    Initial production will begin with one shift, with second and third shifts added soon thereafter.
    •    Each shift will enter and exit through a different door to minimize social contact.
“The men and women building these ventilators raised their hands to help save the lives of people suffering from COVID-19,” said Dr. Jeffery E. Hess, GM corporate medical director. “We will create a safe workplace using CDC guidelines and scientific data.”