As the latest surge of COVID-19 cases continue to decrease, more organizations have started (or announced) their return-to-work plans for employees who have been performing remotely for the better part of this decade (let that sink in). Keypoint Intelligence’s research shows that only 30% of office workers expect to still be fully remote come January 2022, with two-thirds planning on cycling through the office at least some days of the week.
| Source: 2021 The Future Office Survey – Working Through the Pandemic, November 2021 |
So it is incumbent upon those organizations to ensure employees have a safe environment to return to.
The problem is…many of those employees still have reservations. A study conducted by Honeywell revealed that over 70% of workers do not feel that their offices are safe enough to return. Canon Solutions America (CSA), the direct-sales division of Canon U.S.A., thinks it has the solution. The company has assembled an entire portfolio of products centered around enabling a safe return to the office—products that go well beyond the purview of document imaging hardware and software that Canon is best known for.
The first step is Canon Check-in Online. Powered by Canon’s Therefore Online information management platform. This solution lets workers confirm that they are symptom-free before they head into the office, and can be asked of visitors as they arrive at an office location. A simple series of questions (based on CDC guidance) can be answered via a PC or smartphone. The questions adapt to each response in real time, and the system can help prevent potentially unhealthy workers or visitors from entering the facility. Responses are archived in the platform’s secure database so that HR has a record. The solution can also be used to automate the receipt and logging of COVID vaccination cards (or weekly test status) for organizations that need to easily track that information, while also keeping that private employee health information secure.
Taking safety to the next level is the Wello Station X, created by Wello Inc. and offered by CSA. This touchless temperature-check station can be placed at entrances so employees and visitors can be screened for elevated body temperature, thereby lowering the risk of contagious illness entering the workplace. CSA points out that the Wello Station X is the only automated, FDA-cleared, no-touch clinical thermometer on the market; it has been proven over years of deployment in 5,000+ locations; and uses advanced temperature-taking technology that is more accurate than body or forehead scans used by other systems. The platform is very flexible and allows customers to set the temperature threshold that will trigger an alert, whether or not the arriver’s image is captured and shown on-screen. The system can be paired with an optional printer to create a badge showing that the person has been cleared to enter, and can even be integrated into automatic door and turnstile equipment to allow (or deny) physical access.
| The Wello Station X kiosk takes an accurate temperature of arriving employees and guests in seconds. |
Another important factor in a healthy environment is keeping things clean. To this end, CSA has added the Whiz commercial-grade automated vacuum from SoftBank Robotics. The Whiz features “teach-and-repeat” technology that learns the office layout with one training. Built-in 3D cameras and Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) technology allow the bot to navigate spaces and avoid obstacles. The system can also be monitored and managed via an online portal. The manufacturer claims that the Whiz delivers eight-times better dust control and 50% cleaner floors compared to manual vacuuming. Moreover, the Whiz frees up human maintenance personnel to deep-clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, rather than spending half their shift vacuuming.
| The commercial-grade Whiz vacuum robot keeps offices cleaner (and just think of the YouTube cat-video possibilities!) |
Even outside of the current crisis, solutions such as these make sense as an essential investment for organizations. The productivity impacts of the seasonal flu, the common cold, and other illnesses can be minimized, while also showing employees that you value their health and wellness.
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