The pandemic has forced several employees to work remotely. With 44% of Americans working from home, busy American streets and offices have become eerily empty. As the pandemic wanes, offices are preparing themselves by using technology to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace.
In downtown LA, Coretrust spent more than $5 million to upgrade their offices so tenants and their employees can feel safe to return to work. These upgrades include air filtration systems, elevators, and robots.
Technologies used by Coretrust
Touchless offices are going to be the new normal after Covid 19. To keep up with the same, Coretrust has implemented new back-to-work strategies for their building in LA.
Touchless technologies work through voice recognition, physical movements, and facial recognition. Using biometric technology and IoT, systems can process these inputs and take the right actions. From entering the office to going back, they aim to make the whole process touch-free.
Employee check-ins
The very first step to ensure a contactless office is to minimize contact between front desk staff and other employees. Every company should prioritize the reduction of touching contaminated surfaces like elevators and door handles.
Coretrust has automized all check-ins right from parking lots to elevators. As an employee enters the parking lot, they need to wave a key card. A scanner reads the details and allows the employee in.
Similarly, an elevator having minimal buttons will take the employees directly to their selected floor.
Robots
From disinfecting to transferring goods, companies are depending on robots to make their offices touchless. Coretrust has leased three robots called the Adibots to disinfect the place.
These robots are six feet tall and weigh around ninety pounds. They work by emitting UVC radiation that can deactivate the RNA of viruses. A report by the FDA shows that UVC radiation works on SARS-Coronavirus, and may be effective on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for Covid 19.
The company plans to deploy these robots in potentially contaminated areas like restrooms during the night, and a few times during the day. Adibots take around 3 minutes to disinfect a 1000-foot room. Each robot costs them $15 per day.
Air Filtration Systems
When used with other practices, air filters are known to reduce airborne contaminants. When used along with source control and proper ventilation, they can reduce small particles which contain viruses. Coretrust has upgraded the air filtration system of the 48-floored building, which circulates fresh air to all its floors.
Why Should Companies Focus on Touchless Technologies?
Covid-19 has brought several practices into our lives such as washing hands frequently and wearing masks. But this isn’t enough when you want to bring back employees to the workplace. To fight these problems, tech firms are coming up with innovative processes that can make the workplace safer.
Using sanitizers and disinfectants can kill germs, but they can take as long as 10 minutes to work. An average air filtration system can’t filter out aerosols, hence they need upgrades. These methods aren’t practical for large office spaces and commercial buildings.
Only recent advancements are making contactless spaces a reality. Now is the time when the world needs touchless technology more than ever.
Why can Touchless Technologies Be Used?
Several technological applications can make many office processes safe for employees. A few technologies you can implement are:
Entrances
Employees can seamlessly enter office spaces by verifying their credentials through contactless scanners. You can use facial recognition, voice recognition, and even mobile phones to let the employees get in. Mobile phones are also more secure as you can use encrypted information and multifactor authentication on employee information.
Elevators
Infrared detectors can sense physical movements without the need to be touched. These work especially well in elevators. Using infrared panels, employees only need to hover their hands over these panels to allow them entry or take them to the right floor. They can also be used in congestion indicators, allowing you to enforce social distancing norms.
Breakrooms
Break rooms are sometimes the most crowded places in an office. Many companies are attempting to make their break rooms virus-free by introducing innovative coffee machines. These machines require their users to hover their hands over the desired option. This reduces the spread of viruses among people using the same machines.
Break rooms also need to be regularly disinfected, which can be done using robots.
Door Knobs and Handles
These places are frequently touched and harbor several germs. Caretakers may not be able to disinfect these places as frequently and hence, reduction in usage of doorknobs and handles should be a priority. A popular method includes using QR code scanners. Each employee can be assigned a unique QR code that can be scanned at entrances.
Another method is to use gesture recognition. This is a fast and efficient system where users only need to wave to unlock doors, which can prevent potential bottlenecks at entrances.
This not only lets them access areas without coming in contact with germs but also reduces the work for maintenance workers.
Restrooms
Touching the taps defeats the purpose of washing hands as the knobs might harbor viruses. Touchless taps and soap dispensers are utilized in many buildings to provide better sanitization to users. They also help keep costs in check and reduce wastage by dispensing the right amount of soap.
Implement Touchless Technology for Your Workplace
Touchless technology has become a priority to create safe workplaces. Hands-free access to areas, disinfecting robots and automated restrooms will soon be the new norm. Just like Coretrust, several other companies are looking for innovative technologies and software to make their buildings contactless.
With the right software, you can seamlessly implement these technologies in your workplace. Whether you want to create digital check-ins or AI-assisted verifications, Assetsoft can help you find the right tools. Automate your maintenance schedules, utilize workplace platforms and security systems to make your office contactless. Using various platforms like Yardi, Procore, and MRI, Assetsoft can build software as per your requirements.