Godrej Appliances has been ensuring automation on its assembly lines to reduce dependency on manual operations and to ensure social distancing among workers, according to Hussain Shariyarr, Senior Vice-President and Operations Head. The move is part of its efforts to ensure their safety amid the pandemic, he told BusinessLine , adding that humans and robots are now working alongside each other.

“Normally, on an assembly line, the workers operate close to each other. To tackle this situation, we plan to enhance our manufacturing efficiencies with robots – which can minimise physical touch on the shop floor and introduce emerging technologies like cobots (collaborative robots) with advanced safety features, wherein humans and robots work alongside to deliver higher productivity,” said Shariyarr.

It will be enhancing automation in an effort to reduce dependency on manual operations and proximity of the workforce with one another, he added.

In addition to this, factory layout changes for ensuring social distancing, physical barricading and plan for personal protective equipment (PPE) for working post start up are all being planned out prior to opening the workplaces, he said.

Other measures like temperature checks and sanitising hands at entry points, using hands-free water dispensing systems, use of PPEs like personal face masks, hand gloves, face shields, etc are in place, he said.

Godrej Appliances is also introducing sensor technology at various touchpoints in the workplace. This includes water dispensers with sensor technology, which will dispense water by sensing the gesture of the individual. It is also installing automatic door opening systems at every entry point wherein the sensor activates as soon as someone approaches the door, said Shariyarr.

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