A second lockdown took many businesses by surprise and served as a reminder that rules and regulations are likely to change for the foreseeable future – with many workers coming to realise that it’s still far too early to relax.
Recent YouGov figures showed that more than one in three (35%) of workers have an active concern about the transmission of COVID-19 in their workplace. Almost half (47%) rate the risk of COVID-19 transmission at work as fairly or very high, and although 90% of employers take steps to reduce risks, 35% workers are still worried about catching coronavirus on the job.
Steps have, of course, already been taken, with screens, reconfigured offices and one-way systems still in place, and through the second lockdown they continued to play a part in keeping workers feeling safe and comfortable.
But it seems clear that the more a business can do to make its employees and visitors feel confident about being in the premises, the better. AWS Tel Sec has a range of cost-effective measures that are easy to put in place, easy to use and are of benefit to everyone, without making radical alterations.
The Luton-based company, which specialises in the installation of security measures including alarms, CCTV and Access Control, can provide electronic entry and exit points that not only reduce the need to touch intercoms, buttons and door handles but that can also include technology that monitors facial temperature and mask recognition which triggers doors to open, or not, automatically.
Time and attendance records can be logged aligning with track and trace protocol, reducing paperwork and mitigating the need for staffed entry and exit doors.
Elsewhere in the building, foot pedals for toilet doors, barriers with counters that allow a set number of people into a specific area at any one time in accordance with distancing regulations, and automated arms that can be fitted to existing open doors, are all part of the range of measures available from AWS Tel Sec to help a business operate in the pandemic and beyond.
Ellena O’Sullivan from AWS Tel Sec, said: “It makes sense to tackle any area of the building where there is a higher than normal risk of transition, such as door handles and push buttons. Viruses can remain active for up to 48 hours on surfaces such as stainless steel, so anything that reduces contact with those high use areas is beneficial. Even once coronavirus poses less of a threat, we’ve all become so much more aware of general hygiene and transmission of infection, so it pays to take steps now to make your building safe.
“Safety measures don’t have to cost a fortune, but will make a difference by reducing time spent monitoring entry and exit points, and reducing the disruption caused by someone getting ill and their colleagues having to take time off to get test or self-isolate.
“That’s why we’re offering a free COVID Safety Assessment for any business premises, where we can assess safety measures and offer advice on what, often simple, procedures can be implemented to make everyone feel a little more safe and secure.”
To find out more about the AWS Tel Sec free Covid Secure Assessment call 01582 730241, email info@aws-access.com or visit the website www.aws-access.com
