As we approach phase two of the UK’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, attention is turning to solutions that will allow businesses to reopen and safely resume trading as soon as possible. Unique Fire and Security, based in the South of England, believes that fever screening technology will be a vital piece of the armour to help businesses move towards a new normality.
Unique is already working with several businesses across the UK to install fever screening technology at their premises. The cameras will help to detect carriers of coronavirus who are presenting with high temperatures, before they potentially infect colleagues or visitors. The company believes that this technology has the potential become as widespread as CCTV cameras as the country emerges from lockdown and will be a crucial element of the solution that allows businesses to reopen.
Fever screening cameras provide a safe and fast way to detect those with a temperature entering a building. The system can detect elevated skin-surface temperatures in moving crowds such as passengers, guests and shoppers, with accuracy up to ± 0.3° C. The technology can simultaneously read the skin-surface temperature of the heads of multiple people within one second, accurately targeting potential risk in a non-contact environment.
Bradley Williams, Director of Unique Group explains: “Fever screening is a new technology being brought to the market as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, offering businesses a solution to prevent the potential spread of coronavirus amongst their workforce or onto their customers.
“We are already in contact with a number of businesses across a range of sectors including care homes, schools and transport providers who are keen to install systems to limit the spread of the virus, ultimately ensuring limited staff sickness and isolation, increased confidence and a speedy adaptation to ‘the new normal’.
“Being able to quickly and safely spot someone with a fever entering the premises allows businesses to offer an enhanced level of personal security which extends beyond social distancing measures, so it isn’t a surprise that our customers have already taken a keen interest in this technology. We are expecting to see a substantial increase in sales and installations of this technology over the coming weeks and months as the current lockdown restrictions are relaxed, and we expect fever screening technology to play an important part in allowing businesses to reopen, and getting tourism back on its feet.”
Fever screening technology is already being used extensively by businesses in Ireland and was embraced across China and Korea earlier this year. Currently around 100 fever screening units have been installed in various locations in the UK, including bus depots and healthcare environments, and are expected to be installed in airports, hospitals, schools, restaurants and retail outlets as lockdown restrictions are eased.
Bradley believes that without widespread use of fever technology as evidenced in other countries, the UK is at risk of suffering from a longer lockdown transition than necessary. He added: “There has already been discussion in the media on how the UK has been slower to respond to the coronavirus crisis than many other countries, which has sadly resulted in the UK suffering from one of the highest death tolls across the globe.
“How to get people back to work and businesses back in operation, without fear of a second wave of infection, is a question on everyone’s lips. Fever screening technology helps answer that question – and it’s vital for our economy that as a nation, we don’t find ourselves at a further disadvantage by failing to use the technology that’s already available to us.”
At present, only direct VASP Partners of the manufacturers such as Unique Fire and Security can supply and support the units. Unique Fire and Security is accredited by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) to install fever screening technology in premises across the UK.
Please visit www.uniquefireandsecurity.co.uk/fever-screening for further information on fever screening technology.
