How to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading in your workplace

How to fight Coronavirus at work

The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have revolutionized the way businesses think about their workplaces. Whether deemed essential and expected to incorporate new health and safety guidelines, PPE, and social distancing, or having to close doors to employees and adapt to home working. All workplaces have had to step up to new, challenging circumstances.

Studies have shown that social distancing is one of the key ways to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and therefore, workplaces are being encouraged to move towards a more contactless way of operating. With the world beginning to slowly return to the workplace, we had a look at some of the most common challenges that businesses will be faced with finding solutions to.

With the introduction of contactless payment solutions, we have seen how effective this kind of precaution is in retail and grocery stores. Not only is it convenient, but it also offers a hygienic and germ-free solution to a previously ‘touch-based process.

This is now the way that workplaces are heading. Contactless or touch-free entry and exit points, similar in principle to that of contactless payment systems, will replace physical locks and keys. This way, visitors and employees alike can move about the facility without the need to touch a door, in turn preventing the spread of Coronavirus through workspaces in these latter stages of the pandemic.

Government guidelines are encouraging businesses to move away from touch-based security systems in order to stop the spreading of the virus. Exterior doors and other entry points, such as elevators and other interior doors are hubs for bacteria and used by everyone entering and exiting a space, massively increasing the risk of infection.

These keyless entry systems use a card reader and credentials that are unique to a single user and use proximity cards, eliminating the need for actual contact with the reader, to grant access. These can be issued quickly and access rights can be customized to only give each individual access to specific spaces, rather than an entire building.

Government guidelines are encouraging reducing the amount of movement through a building, by restricting access between different areas of a building or facility and introducing a one-way flow as much as possible. This has been proven to aid social distancing and stop the spread of the virus.

In the US: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/office-buildings.html

In the UK: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm

Contactless entry systems offer a simple and highly effective solution to this challenge and access control solutions can provide added peace of mind, through the use of contactless keycards and card readers, thermal scanning, and zone control.

Of course, this is not the only challenge for businesses when returning to the office or workspace. Contact tracing and social distancing are also of concern and importance. Businesses will be expected to monitor who goes in and out of their facility or office, both employees and visitors.

How we can help you to achieve a Covid-safe work environment?

Keri Systems is a family-owned access control company with over 30 years experience of in securing all kinds of businesses with the very latest in security technology. From multi-enterprise office buildings to stand-alone one-door security solutions, we specialize in creating bespoke, contact-free access control to meet your specific goals and needs.

Keri Systems has a long-standing tradition of producing feature-rich hardware and software to ensure safety in the workplace. Below are just some features of a Keri Systems solution that can help stop the spread of Coronavirus in your facility:

Zone control/occupancy management

Control the number of people per area in accordance with social distance guidelines.
Create capacity limits for each area as needed. This will monitor individuals entering and exiting through the building to give you an occupancy count per zone.

Get automatic email or SMS alerts if the occupancy level is exceeded. Turn on indicators automatically to show the facility is fully occupied.

Set specific times for access for different employees. For example, allow cleaners to gain access from 6am – 8am and 6pm – 8pm only, and access for office staff from 9am – 5pm. This allows for social distancing through occupancy management.

This can be integrated with turnstiles as well as traditional card reader-based entry points.

Anti-pass back

Create rules to prevent credentials from being used by other persons. Doors.NET automatically prevents the second use of a credential if the primary cardholder is already in the facility.

Thermal scanning and facial recognition

Combine abnormal temperature detection devices with card readers to control access. A normal temperature and valid credential grants access, abnormal temperature can deny access and generate email or SMS alerts.

This feature offers a scanning distance of up to 2 meters, and an average temperature read time of 1 second. Thermal scanning accommodates mask detection as well as adjustable temperature ranges.

This can be integrated with turnstiles as well as traditional card reader-based entry points.

Contactless card readers

Reduce contact within the building by using contactless access control readers to assist with infection control measures. Minimize the risk of infection by reducing all physical contact points that your occupants may have to use when moving throughout your facility.

Contactless automatic door openings

A Keri Systems access control solution offers automated door openers, a feature that can be  configured in conjunction with a wide variety of integrations. Once the access control system displays an access granted message, it will automatically open the door without any contact.

Contact tracing

Using reporting and auditing capabilities, create reports of who has entered your facility, when they entered, how long they were there, and what areas they accessed.

For general guidance on working safely when returning to work, read the following link from the WHO: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf