The contractor Mitie Security is launching fever-screening solutions for businesses to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus. The solutions, which have been developed by adapting thermal imaging, can identify individuals with a fever that may be symptomatic of COVID-19. This fever-screening is able to detect human temperatures to within an accuracy of 0.3ºC, raising the alarm to monitoring teams should it identify someone with a fever.
The contract firm says that these solutions have been designed to support those sites on the frontline against coronavirus, besides those looking to prepare for when lockdown restrictions are eased. Applications include:
– Healthcare: Identifying potential COVID-19 sufferers as they enter hospital which will allow healthcare staff to take precautions, such as limiting contact with other patients and ensuring all staff they encounter are wearing appropriate PPE.
– Public spaces: Scanning people’s body temperature on entry to railway stations, airports and large venues. This will allow individuals potentially suffering from COVID-19 to be isolated in crowded places.
– Retail: Thermal imaging will support the safety of staff and customers in supermarkets or other shops in identifying individuals with fevers and potentially diverting them away.
– Business headquarters: For businesses preparing for the return of large number of employees to their offices. These fever-screening solutions can detect employees or visitors who are potentially infected with COVID-19, preventing it from spreading further within the office.
The technology has several formats from hand-held units to mounted cameras. For example, locating the thermal cameras at site entrances allows a larger number of people to be checked, such as in public areas or when a large number of employees are entering a building at once, for instance, during shift changes at a factory, or employees arriving for work at an office block. The portable hand-held solution meanwhile can be used to check individuals, enabling the detection of anyone showing an elevated body temperature.
Mitie’s specialist Fire and Security Systems’ Team has also developed a process guide to be used alongside the fever-screening, including guidelines and procedures to manage individuals with a high body temperature, depending on scenario. For instance, potential COVID-19 sufferers could be diverted to a safe area for further checks, by an employee wearing appropriate PPE, before determining if access to the site will be granted or denied.
Jason Towse, pictured, Managing Director of Business Services, Mitie, said: “Ensuring the safety of our clients’ employees and customers has always been our priority, and this is even more important during the Coronavirus pandemic. As many businesses start planning a return to work after lockdown, we must ensure that we all play our part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible.
“As the UK’s leading technology-led security provider, we are evolving to meet this new threat. By harnessing thermal technology we can support businesses in keeping people safe – be that those at the coal face of the pandemic or others looking to find safe ways to return to daily life as and when restrictions begin to to ease.”
