COVID-19 and the new workplace
In the early days of COVID-19, the whole world was very optimistic about how soon the flu-like epidemic will soon disappear. Two years later, the pandemic is still raging on. Every few months, a new wave emerges that seems to be larger than the previous [1]. Our workplace has evolved to meet these new realities. Factories, offices, shops, and warehouses have all adapted to the changing dynamics. Businesses have been trusted with taking the necessary steps to protect their employees and prevent an outbreak at the workplace. They must accomplish all of this while going about business as usual.
The good news is that technology can give businesses a helping hand with pandemic workplace safety. A combination of equipment, software, and processes can come together to reduce contamination, trace outbreaks early or provide necessary response supplies.
Availability of EMS Supplies
Prevention is better than cure any day of the week. Many businesses are driven by the desire to protect their employees from a dangerous disease. Some are also motivated to avoid the expensive downtime from a contagion-related stoppage and the ensuing sanitization costs. Timely access to PPE equipment and sanitization products can help both objectives. Placing PPE dispensing equipment at access points can ensure everybody who needs access to such supplies will get it. Our range of PPE Supply Dispensers are specifically designed for this purpose. They reduce wait times, eliminate queues, and provide a completely contactless experience while providing employees with face masks, sanitizers, gloves, tissues, and more.
Testing and Sample Collection
From the very beginning of this global pandemic, aggressive testing and tracing of infections have been a priority for health officials. Companies that need employees onsite for conducting business will need proper testing infrastructure to control spread.
Testing Kit dispensing machines can provide much-needed access to test kits. When sample collection is authenticated by Employee ID or Key Cards, traceability of samples becomes very easy. This accelerates response and reduces the chances of uncontrollable spread. Technology can improve the ability to test and control spread.
IDS’ UCapIt Rapid COVID-19 Testing Solution ensures easy access to self-administered COVID-19 test kits. Their design, operation, and footprint make them ideal for workspaces, campuses, and healthcare facilities. See how California universities are benefiting from COVID-19 Test Kit Dispensing Machines by downloading our case studies.
Reducing Contacts
COVID-19 pathogens stay active on surfaces like glass, metal, or plastic for several days. This makes every contact a potential opportunity for contamination. Thanks to the pandemic, a killer handshake can now truly live up to its name.
Fewer person-to-person interactions can have a tangible impact on containing spread within your office or factory. Strategically placed dispensing machines can be the insulation between the employee who needs tech supplies and the IT support team. MRO tools dispensing machines can eliminate the need for physically handing over tools and equipment from one individual to another. Vend Safety, for instance, uses iQ Technology, our in-house cloud-based inventory management software, to increase productivity and reduce costs.
If you are a shop owner, the chances of contamination can come from more places than within your business. Contact with customers is not as controllable as it is with your employees. BOPIS and retail collection lockers can eliminate that touchpoint. Our BOPIS/Click and Collect lockers give a novel and safe experience for your customers. Our retail lockers offer customizable lockers and intuitive user interfaces while being equipped with iQ Technology, which makes inventory management a breeze.
Safe Interfaces
Dependence upon dispensing equipment and lockers may make one wonder if they can be sources of infection. That is why responsible dispensing solution manufacturers like IDS Vending have developed UVend Technology, an ultraviolet-based disinfection technology. This can sanitize the touchpoints of the dispensing machines each time after use. UVend Technology can eliminate or deactivate 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. UVend Technology is our patent-pending technology that combines UVC rays with motion sensors to make high contact surfaces on the machine safer.
Trackability (iQ Technology, Chain of Custody)
Despite all precautions, infections can still happen. Businesses need to be prepared to respond to such instances. One of the first steps is to trace the source of infection and identify all contacts for isolation. Thanks to innovative software platforms like iQ Technology from IDS Vending, establishing the chain of custody of equipment used by the source of infection is easy. At the click of a button, you can trace all users who have interacted or used a particular piece of equipment. This helps health officials and businesses take the necessary precautionary actions.
Future Work Environment
As of the time, this blog was written, we are in what experts identify as the fifth wave. Though this has been several times larger in terms of the number of infections, thankfully, the fatality rates are much lower. In one form or the other, such mutations pop up once every few months. Businesses need to protect their employees while ensuring business continuity. Technology can help businesses meet such challenges. Controlled dispensing hardware and software platforms from IDS Vending can help you tide over any number of waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. To know more, call us at 1-855-526-2683.
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