Samsung Stresses Safety Protocols at South Carolina Washer Plant

By Alan Wolf, YSN

Four months after Samsung Electronics Home Appliances’ first and only U.S. plant went back online following repeated COVID-related shutdowns, the company is reporting enhanced on-site safety protocols and a renewed diligence to keep employees, their families and the local community safe.

The washer factory, located in Newberry, S.C., confirmed three cases of the coronavirus among its workers last April, and closed the 1.6 million-square-foot facility twice for several weeks of thorough cleanings.

See: Vendors Face Further Factory Shutdowns

Since then, writes HR chief Daniel Grove in a Samsung blog, “We have worked to review and amplify our health and safety protocols and procedures at our Newberry manufacturing facility to keep our employees healthy while on site.”

Among the new measures:

  • Social distancing on the production line and shared spaces;
  • Mandatory temperature checks and face coverings;
  • Shift staggering; and
  • An intensive, deep cleaning regimen throughout the plant.

What’s more, Samsung’s South Carolina workers “have gone above and beyond” to implement and adhere to the new policies, Grove said, and “have shown enormous strength, resilience and flexibility” in their commitment to keeping co-workers safe and the factory a healthy place to work.

“I’m honored to work with a group with such a strong commitment to each other and our community,” he wrote.

The two-year-old Newberry facility fabricates cabinets, inner tubs and bases from blank steel, and assembles ship-ready washers for U.S. consumers. Samsung invested $380 million to open the plant, which employs about a thousand workers.

Upcoming Events