Toyota Cleans

One of the largest employers in the region is preparing to bring its team members back.

One of the largest employers in the region is preparing to bring its team members back.

Allie martin was invited to tour the toyota plant in blue springs as they clean up ahead of their monday reopening..

When team members return monday they will notice a lot of changes.

Everything from entering the plant, eating lunch and even working on the assembly line, all part of a massive effort to keep everyone safe in the wake of covid 19.

Nats sean suggs 'that's tbe most important thing, the health and safety of our team members and their safe return and it starts from the parking lot all the way in."

Toyota mississippi president sean suggs demonstrated the process team members will go through as they come to work.

Each team member must answer a short survey nats "it's the cdc guideline questions" team members will have their temperatures taken before entering the plant, and the company is providing masks and face shields.

Visitors have to go through the same protocol.

Nats inside, the plant is unusually quiet.

Corollas have not rolled off the line in seven weeks.

But a skeleton crew of about 200 has helped maintain the plant, and make service parts.

Also, the 2 million square foot plant has been santized, and cdc guidelines have been implemented.

There are six foot distance markers, hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility and other safeguards.

Nats plexi glass partitions have been installed in administration team members made the partitions and they are also making masks for the entire plant.

In the cafeteria, social distancing guidelines are enforced.

Through the shutdown, team members have stayed in touch with their group leaders.

"we have been in contact with team members on a regular basis through mendomi calls, and that means in japanese, taking care of team members like they are family.

I think in total we have made 20 thousand mendomi calls."

Congressman trent kelly was part of the tour with other local government leaders and says getting the blue springs plant up and running impacts many people and many businesses.

"toyota is not just toyota, the plant here, it's all the suppliers who make parts, it's all those, doing it in a right way, a safe way but getting our folks back to work is so important."

A survey of team members showed 97 percent were eager to get back to work.

Toyota hopes reopening the plant will show other businesses it is possible to get employees back on the job safely and get the economy moving once again.

In blue springs, allie martin wcbi news toyota estimates it will take about three months to get production back up to capacity at the blue springs plant.