One of the world’s largest car manufacturers could be facing production issues in the coming days after asbestos was found in one of its UK factories. Ford has suspended operations at the Ford UK Parts Distribution Centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, following the asbestos discovery.
The American brand announced that it had found traces of chrysolite, which is typically known as white asbestos, in parts of cement at the production site. Operations at the site have been paused as the company deals with the issue, stating that the health of its workers was a top priority.
A spokesperson from Ford told GB News that operations have been suspended at the Daventry site until the situation was resolved.
They said: “Small pieces of cement containing a low percentage of white asbestos have been found on an area of racking on our Daventry site. We have suspended operations while external specialists conduct thorough cleaning. We are fully committed to providing a safe working environment and are keeping our employees updated regularly.”
Based on a letter from Ford to customers, “contingency action” is in place, meaning parts needed will be re-routed through Cologne in Germany and Valencia in Spain, the BBC reported.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 states that employers must “not carry out work which is liable to expose employees of that employer to asbestos”.
Employers must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by exposure to asbestos and perform a risk assessment as soon as possible. Asbestos can be a danger to health if it is disturbed or damaged and can lead to serious conditions like lung cancer if inhaled.
So far this year, Ford has sold almost 65,000 cars in the UK, representing 5.59 per cent of the total market share, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
While this is a nearly 23 per cent sales drop compared to last year, it means Ford remains in the top five brands for sales across the UK this year.
The Ford Puma remains the best-selling vehicle in the UK in the year-to-date with 29,792 sales, having sold more than 3,400 models in July alone.
Ford operates two major production sites in the UK, namely Dagenham for diesel engines, and Halewood for its transmissions and future electric vehicle plans.
The Michigan-based manufacturer also has a massive research and development factory in Dunton, Essex, which employs an estimated 4,000 people.
