Business Operations

What’s it like to work in a manufacturing plant during the pandemic? The NAM’s staff photographer took a trip to the Hershey facility in Hershey, PA, to find out. Here’s what he saw.

At the entrance, employees’ temperatures are checked. Either in their cars…

Or upon entering the facility. By then, workers have already put on masks.

All around the facility, workers are sanitizing equipment—from machinery to desks to keyboards. They go through this procedure multiple times a production shift.

Walk into the cafeteria, and you’ll see a new table design—yellow tape shows workers where to sit to maintain a safe social distance.

No more huddles—all meetings take place at a distance.

Below, a trainer and trainee use a two-way radio while social distancing, in order to hear each other over the noise of the machinery.

The control room has some new décor: vinyl sheets, which create clear cubicles around each worker.

Hershey’s chocolate production goes on much like before, keeping America stocked with the famous brand’s familiar treats.

But meanwhile, the company is also lending a hand—by helping to source, store and distribute medical supplies within its community. The boxes below contain sterile exam gloves for the Penn State Health System.

Because it instituted precautions early on, Hershey’s workforce has stayed healthy. As Senior Director of Manufacturing Tim Hinegardner said, “The safety of our team is our top priority and always has been. Hershey made chocolate throughout the Great Depression and two world wars, for both soldiers and civilians. We’ll persevere through this, too.”