As businesses and organizations begin their office and operations reopening processes, it’s a good time to take a look at technology that can assist with the transition to our “New Normal”.
COVID-19 has had an impact on our lives, both professionally and personally that will last for years to come. Personally, we’re more conscious of our surroundings than ever. Everyone we encounter, everything we touch, everything we do outside of our homes can have a dramatic impact on our lives and on the ones we love. Work and school life have been turned upside down. Schools have been shuttered and are struggling to reveal solid plans for reopening. Businesses and organizations are balancing the future of their operations with the safety of their staff, contractors, visitors, and customers.
And while this turmoil is still very real, most organizations are preparing or even rolling out plans and procedures to reopen. So, how can technology help maintain a level of increased safety while we’re facing the massive shift in our lives.
New Tech to Help Massive Change
Facility mangers and commercial property managers are now tasked with preparing, modifying, rolling out, and enforcing strategies to keep their organization open while the pandemic continues to infect thousands of people daily. To do this, they are considering implementation of touchless technologies in order to minimize potential exposure at the workplace.
Key considerations are contactless access control for employees. This can be accomplished with Bluetooth technology on the mobile device in nearly everyone’s pocket. And, if using a phone isn’t the ideal option, facial recognition devices can unlock the door while others maintain safe distancing. For Bluetooth on the mobile device or facial recognition to unlock the door and open automatically, the devices must be integrated to physical operator devices and locks at the door that automatically unlock and open the door without physical interaction by the employee.
Unlocking and allowing access to the front door is one major consideration, however, before entering work areas, it’s important for there to be a health screening. This process may include a series of questions as well as a temperature check before entering. Checking the temperature of tens, hundreds, or thousands of employees as they enter can range from unsafe to physically impossible when administered manually.
Thermal imaging kiosks and cameras can provide a preliminary screening, directing potentially ill employees to get further screening checks.
When it comes to video surveillance, considerations must be made for multiple people to have remote access to video surveillance live and recorded feeds. Having remote access to the VMS can mean taking part in real-time security activities at a distance. Recorded video can be reviewed for post-incident investigations from the safety of a private office rather than a busy security operations center. Video surveillance, backed by smart video analytics, can also assist in determining current occupancy counts in applications where there must be a limit enforced.
A Safe New Normal
To help keep your security team and facility as safe as possible while operating at maximum efficiency, Vision Security Technologies will design, engineer, install, and maintain physical distancing and occupant safety systems that meet the needs of your organization and exceeds the requirements of all stakeholders from the security team to the operations team. We can perform most on-site installation, migration, integration, and maintenance during non-peak hours with proper PPE in place during times of health concerns.
