Workplaces will need to act like hospitals
COVID-19 safety comes at a price, an online audience heard Friday
WATERLOO REGION — For years, hospitals have made infection prevention and control measures a priority.
Now, as more companies look to return to the workplace following COVID-19 shutdowns, the private sector needs to adopt this mentality as well, an online event hosted by Communitech heard Friday.
“Hospitals have always had these, and the private sector and non-medical government agencies have never had them,” said Scott Ashley, a former paramedic and president of Get Ready Inc. “And now every workplace needs it.”
The Guelph firm offers a cloud-based platform and tools to assist companies with emergency management and business continuity. Whether in a retail store, a manufacturing facility or an office setting, the goals are the same, Ashley said.
It’s about protecting people in that environment. “Employers want to be risk-free, or as riskfree as they can be, and reduce their liability, employees want to be safe and so does the public.”
Key factors in reducing COVID-19 risk include increasing physical distance, reducing exposure time, and using engineered barriers. Using PPE (personal protective equipment) is the next step, Ashley said.
Technology can speed some procedures at entry points, for example, and reduce riskier human interaction, said Amir Hoss, founder and chief executive officer of Eaigle.
The intelligent video analytics firm has a real-time platform that can monitor body temperature, occupancy rates and physical distancing. “When you take this sort of non-intrusive monitoring solution, you are cutting down on contacts,” Hoss said.
But safety comes at a price. Technology can be expensive, monitoring and data collection raises privacy concerns, and new protocols can introduce delays and impact productivity. Insurance companies may look at a business’ coronavirus measures in assessing risk factors and determining premiums, Hoss said.
Some companies are looking to replace ceiling lights with UV lights, Hoss said. “That’s a million-dollar investment.” Researchers are looking at the use of UV wavelengths that are safe for humans but can still kill viruses.
Hoss said one customer is spending $700,000 (US) at each of its manufacturing facilities on various COVID-19 measures. Many employers expect the changes they’re adopting will be permanent. “It is an ongoing crisis,” he said. “No one knows how long this is going to take.”
Some of the common measures being touted do have drawbacks, Ashley noted. Thermal scanners won’t help detect an asymptomatic carrier who doesn’t have a fever, for example.
One client’s workplace lost about 16 per cent of its workstations to physical distancing. In many existing office layouts, employees are seated less than two metres apart. “The math gets really simple,” Ashley said. “If my nose is six feet from your nose, that’s just on the border of being acceptable.”
Scheduling people to be present at different times, or offering permanent work from home options can help to lower occupancy.
“This is what we call the new normal,” Ashley said. “This is bringing infection control protocols, procedures, behaviours into the workplace, into people’s homes, into their social life.”