How Businesses Are Using Thermal Cameras in the Workplace During COVID-19

Unfortunately, as the Delta variant continues to spread, mask mandates and vaccine requirements are gaining traction. Despite the setback, more companies in Houston, TX, are requiring that their staff return to the workplace, a request that many employees, having spent almost a year working from home, are not in favor of.

To combat the hesitation, employers are offering a compromise—part-time remote and part-time office participation. This gives employees time to work as a team while appealing to their desire to skip the commute. Despite the solution, employees are pointing to the rising cases in COVID-19 and safety concerns.

Fortunately, there are steps that operators can take to help employees feel safer when working from the office. One of these procedures is fever detection or thermal imaging.

SEE ALSO: What Temperature Should be the Threshold for Fever Screening?

How Fever Detection Works

Taking an employee’s temperature is one of the main screening suggestions. Additionally, OSHA recommends asking several other questions, such as if employees have been experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, or coughing.

Taking the time to screen each employee as they enter the organization can be time-consuming and further intensify an employee's insecurity and health concerns. Fever technology can streamline the process while still taking a proactive stance regarding employees' health and safety.

Fever detectors or thermal cameras act as a preliminary screening device. They work by converting infrared energy, or heat, into a visual image. Heat can be precisely measured, with some cameras detecting minute differences as small as 0.01°C.

Additionally, some thermal cameras are embedded with AI-powered screening devices that can detect discoloration and sweating on someone's face. Another benefit of thermal screening is that employees do not have to remove their masks, and those testing can remain a safe distance away.   

Thermal Imaging Protocol for Businesses

To accurately assess a person’s temperature with a thermal camera, companies need to make sure the area where the scans take place is devoid of drafts and that no radiant heat sources or reflective backgrounds are present.

If a reading comes in at 100.4 degrees or higher, a regular thermometer can verify the temperature. If the employee still registers high, they are usually asked to work from home until a test verifies they are COVID-19 free.

If they test positive, AI-powered surveillance systems with facial recognition can track a person’s whereabouts before they were sent home, determining how many other employees they may have come in contact with. These employees may then be quarantined and tested, reducing the spread of the virus.

Companies and Organizations Using the Technology

Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center installed four thermal cameras at two of their biggest facilities. Instead of taking each visitor's temperature, they stand in front of the thermal camera, significantly improving traffic flow.

Amazon is using thermal imaging along with “distance assistance,” a camera-based AI technology that helps keep people a certain distance from each other in the warehouse.  

This Too Shall Pass

Businesses investing in thermal cameras may wonder what they can do with them once the pandemic passes. Fortunately, thermal cameras have a multitude of uses, with many being used in surveillance systems. Because thermal imaging detects infrared radiation, it can see objects in the dark and detect any irregularities or intruders when night descends.

At ASAP Security Services, we use the latest technologies to help our clients and their businesses stay safe and secure. If you’d like more information about fever detection and thermal temperature screening, we’re happy to help you find the right system that fits your particular needs. To set up a complimentary consultation, contact ASAP Security Services today.