As COVID-19 infection rates reach lower levels and businesses open their doors once more, HR and facilities teams across many industries and sectors are preparing for a physical return to the workplace. With a duty to ensure the health, safety and general wellbeing of staff and visitors, there are many factors to consider, such as how to promote safe social distancing and increased cleaning regimes, while still focussing on business productivity. The roles of HR and FM will be critical in setting safe protocols if further self-isolation and lockdown measures are to be avoided.
This is where cloud technology – so relied upon during the pandemic for video conferencing and connecting people – can offer a solution. Cloud-based access control systems for managing entrance and exit points, and network surveillance cameras for protecting premises, are a far cry from the dated standalone equivalents of the past such as CCTV. Historically the preserve of security or operations teams, today’s modern systems are capable of producing powerful insights and offer many benefits beyond security. The advantages of such systems described below will prove invaluable for those professionals working to help create safer working environments and promote confidence among personnel.
Managing the return to work
Considerations about managing a return to work start at the front entrance. Frictionless access control negates the need for physical contact, enabling a totally hands-free experience which also removes the cross-contamination risks associated with touching shared surfaces. With surveillance cameras providing a second factor of authentication, swift and accurate identification of staff allows free movement to and from premises. Additionally, surveillance cameras can count people as they enter premises or site, providing an accurate account of attendance numbers and enabling safe occupancy thresholds to be set and controlled as required.
The possibilities for such use span many industries. In the healthcare industry currently, there are positive applications to ensure health, safety and security. Within hospital environments, door control systems, installed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, are being used for their intercom capabilities, enabling clinicians and patients to communicate safely via video at entry / exit points to wards, limiting the need to enter and reducing viral spread.