DETROIT – Local 4 has received numerous complaints regarding auto employees working under hazardous air quality conditions.
Canadian wildfire smoke spread across Metro Detroit this week, with July 16 being under a hazardous air quality alert. Many businesses across the area have closed, and outdoor events were canceled.
Local 4 received tips from viewers on Thursday, expressing concerns that workers at Ford and Stellantis are working under hazardous conditions.
Stellantis on Thursday provided the following statement to Local 4 regarding employees at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant working during the air quality alert:
“Employee health and safety is our highest priority and we are actively monitoring the air quality at each of our locations. At this time, test results have been below permissible OSHA limits. Extra safety precautions have been put in place, including keeping overhead and perimeter doors closed; maximizing the use of filtered air intake ventilation systems; and providing N95 respiratory masks for employees who wish to use them. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust as necessary.”
Stellantis spokesperson
Local 4 reached out to Ford for comment.
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Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint.