26 Jan Temperature Scanners in Buildings May Become the New Norm
It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us all for a loop and turned the world upside-down. Despite all the devastation it has caused, there is a silver lining. The pandemic has shown us many fixable flaws in our healthcare system, our workforce, and other aspects of our world that leave us at risk for illnesses on a daily basis.
Now, businesses and governments are getting to work trying to repair those flaws and create a safer world for all of us with precautions that are here to stay. One change we expect to stay around for the long haul is temperature screening in buildings. There are several reasons why it’s likely to be a long-term solution.
1. The Prolonged Pandemic
When COVID-19 first appeared, no one knew what to expect, how contagious it was, or how easily it would spread. Most of us didn’t expect to still be restricting our activities for the better part of a year, but here we are.
While there are still many unknowns, we do know that once a new virus exists, it doesn’t go away. There is hope that we’ll get it under control so the cases are fewer and farther between in the future, but the risk will always exist.
Of course, businesses can’t stay closed forever, so they’re implementing long-term precautions to keep everyone safe. One of those precautions is having a temperature scanner or temperature kiosk to check everyone’s temperature before giving them building access.
2. Contact Tracing
Temperature testing stations don’t have to read temperatures alone. Many companies are integrating them with their security protocol. For instance, some scanners like spinTouch RapidScreen can use facial recognition software or integrate with access cards so it only grants access to employees while tracking their attendance.
Not only does this enhance your security but it assists in contact tracing. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, you have a clear record of which of their co-workers were in the office with them and when.
3. Keeping Businesses Open
One of the struggles with COVID-19 is there has been a series of peaks and valleys, so businesses keep opening back up when cases drop only to shut down again when the next peak hits.
When your business has a temperature reader controlling access, you help to nip outbreaks in the bud before they start spreading among your employees. This means fewer office closures to sanitize your building and fewer widespread shutdowns because you’re helping to reduce the spread of the virus in your community.
In this way, a temperature sensor serves as an investment tool for businesses. It’s likely to save business money in the long run because it can reduce shutdowns and sanitation costs.
4. One More Security Integration
Another reason we expect temperature check stations to become the new norm is that they’re merely a small addition to the security measures many businesses already have.
Most buildings require some type of fob, access card, key code, fingerprint scanner, or facial recognition scanner to grant access. These precautions have been in place for years to protect the company’s sensitive data and to protect employees from theft and violence.
In our changing world, viruses including and beyond COVID-19 have become a rising daily threat. Adding a contactless thermometer is no different from those protocols to block other common threats.
In fact, the new precaution is easy to add because some temperature kiosks will integrate with existing security features. Instead of a contactless thermometer alongside an access card scanner, for example, buildings can have one kiosk that handles all their access controls.
5. Sustainability and Practicality
Business shutdowns haven’t been the only way COVID-19 is costing companies money. Some of the safety precautions are pricey too, and that includes having a staff member take each person’s temperature with a touchless thermometer.
Depending on the building’s traffic patterns, some businesses have had to hire a new full-time employee exclusively to take temperatures. Others have given the task to their receptionists, who have to continuously step away from their other duties to take temperatures. They have less time for projects including projects that would have made money for the company.
Now that it’s become clear that these safety precautions won’t be a short-term necessity but a long-term need, businesses need a more financially sustainable option. Temperature scanning kiosks are self-supported. In fact, some like RapidScreen can even enforce mask policies so they handle all the safety requirements, leaving the staff’s time available for generating revenue.
6. Controlling Other Illnesses
Employee illnesses are a major expense for businesses, especially contagious illnesses. In fact, according to the CDC, employee sick days cost employers around $225 billion per year. That’s more than $1,600 per employee. Note that those numbers are also from 2015, long before COVID-19, so the costs are likely to be far higher in 2020 and beyond.
The Harvard Business Review estimates that up to 60% of those costs come from employees coming to work while sick. Those employees lose productivity because they’re not feeling well and they also spread the illness to multiple coworkers.
Fevers aren’t unique to COVID-19. When businesses block access to anyone with a fever, they’ll also reduce the spread of the flu, colds, and countless other illnesses that could spread through their staff. As more businesses recognize the high cost of sick employees, they’ll be more likely to make the investment in a long-term temperature scanner.
Considering Safety for Years to Come
As the months of the COVID-19 pandemic have worn on, it’s become clear to more and more people that as a society, we need to work together to reduce the spread of illnesses in general. Practices like wearing a mask when you’re sick and reducing close contact are likely to stick around in the US as they have in many countries who have faced more pandemics in the past.
A temperature scanner is quickly becoming a cost-effective and powerful way for employers to protect their employees as well as their financial stability. To find out how it can help your business cut costs and stay open, learn more about the spinTouch RapidScreen.
