We’ve all had to adapt to new ways of working and, at least in the short term, the return to work is going to be different too.
However, we can make it easier and safer for everyone.
Across the world, businesses are using technology to not just support remote and flexible working, but to also pave a way back into the office. Creating a safe environment for those that prefer it.
One technology that’s helping to keep people and workplaces safe is heat detection cameras.
How are heat detection cameras helping?
Heat detection cameras work by using thermal imaging technology to monitor a person’s body temperature.
Checking their body temperature against a preset baseline, the camera lets you know if that person’s skin temperature is above the baseline, accurate to within 0.3 degrees Celsius.
Since they don’t use facial recognition technology, they can be a simple, effective and discreet means of identifying if someone possibly is unwell. This helps keep both your workforce and the individual safe.
In the UK, we worked with Wasps Rugby Club to help players get back to training safely amid the pandemic.
By placing the camera at the entrance of the training ground, managers can identify players or staff with a high temperature and can advise them to get further checks without putting everyone else at risk.
We caught up with the team to find out more.
Vodafone Business UK | Supporting Wasps Rugby return to Business
Discretion is key
When combined with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud technology, heat detection cameras can create a secure early alert system.
For example, you can easily connect a fixed thermal heat detection camera to a mobile device to receive data and send out private, automatic alerts if someone’s skin temperature is above the threshold.
There will be some instances or environments that will naturally increase somebody's temperature, like in a steelworks or factory setting – which is where the base temperate setting comes in handy.
Also, if you have multiple entrances, you can set your cameras up at each entrance and connect them to a single device so you have a central view of the data coming in. Even if you have multiple sites, you can still connect all your IoT devices to a single mobile device to receive the footage.
Creating a safe working environment
In Spain, we’ve been working with a biopharmaceutical company, Gilead, to help bring their workers back to the office safely, using sensors, not only to moderate the entrance, but also around the building in communal spaces.
They have been operating with a traffic light system in communal areas that can count the number of employees in the space, notifying other employees as to whether or not it’s safe to enter the area. This meant that workers felt secure in the environment and confident that areas wouldn’t overcrowd and put them at risk.
We caught up with them to find out more about how the sensors can work in an office environment.
Gilead get back to business with Vodafone IoT
Data-driven insights help safeguard and transform the workplace
This is just one example of how IoT can support business continuity in the fight against coronavirus.
In the healthcare industry, this technology has helped support medical staff, from bedside buttons that streamline care to transmitting the vaccine safely.
In retail, smart shelving can limit face-to-face contact while still providing seamless customer service and sensors by the door can monitor the number of people in the store to ensure the latest guidelines are being followed.
As we continue to battle new outbreaks and variants of the virus, these solutions will help create a more agile working environment that is safe for staff and customers.
