In any area where many people spend a long time together, there’s a risk that infectious diseases will spread. With the coronavirus pandemic, this became drastically visible. But waves of disease happen independently of COVID-19 – take the annual flu season, for example.
Thorsten Burgsmüller, sales manager at Nedap partner company GST, sees a problem that exists in many workplaces: “Thorough hand hygiene measures when entering a building are the simplest and most effective preventive measure against the transmission of germs,” he says. “But in practice, people often forget this important process and sanitise their hands too rarely or not thoroughly enough.”
Christian Nagel, Channel Partner Manager at Nedap helped to explore this problem with the directors of GST. How many people enter the building where you work every day? And how many of them not only bring a briefcase and lunch, but maybe also germs and pathogens to the office?
GST implements holistic, user-friendly techniques to create efficient security systems that solve problems and integrate organically into users’ routines, instead of creating blockages. With this in mind, GST managing directors Stefan Krusenbaum and Thorsten Burgsmüller designed a versatile solution that combines access control and hand hygiene.
The flexible AEOS system from Nedap enables a wide variety of settings. “Our solution is based on the AEOS physical access control system. The range of options for settings in AEOS, and its software’s extensive integration options, made it easy for us to convert an ordinary hand-sanitiser dispenser into a ‘hygiene barrier’,” says Stefan Krusenbaum.
This is how it works: authorised users scan their access card at the hand-sanitiser dispenser, which dispenses sanitiser. Only then does the relevant door open. With AEOS, access control hardware can also be positioned on turnstiles, elevators or locks, as well as doors. And it allows you to define different groups of people. A visitor, for example, could be given less sanitiser than someone working in the building.
Virus security can be a valuable new feature
This access control plus sanitiser solution fulfils an important requirement: high hygiene standards are quickly becoming essential criteria for safety at work.
One acute challenge is, for example, how people who are ill can be kept away from sensitive areas. Because no employer can afford or wants to have to cope with levels of sick leave like those seen in the coronavirus crisis – whether it’s in a future pandemic or the winter cold season. To address this, Stefan Krusenbaum is thinking of expanding GST’s hand hygiene access control. Adding fever screening, for example, would help to identify people who are ill at an early stage.
An additional safety factor
With this hand hygiene system, employers and building managers give employees, visitors or patients carefully controlled security. Christian Nagel sums it up: “A virus-free environment curbs the spread of infectious diseases holistically; reduces sickness-related absenteeism; protects employees; and so ensures better health in the workplace.”
The desire for this sense of security isn’t only limited to offices and administrative buildings. It’s relevant for all areas where large numbers of people meet regularly: from supermarkets to schools to airports. “The fact is,” adds Thorsten Burgsmüller, “triggered by the latest developments, hygiene practices now have a completely different status than a few years ago. This acceptance won’t disappear.”
