and may be leveraged to reinforce
workplace policies and mitigate health,
safety and security risks.
CHANGES TO PHYSICAL ACCESS
“If your business has a large number of
employees, you will need to see if it is
feasible to provide multiple access points
and consider staggering sta arrival and
departure times to reduce crowding,” he
explains. “A one-way ow process may
also be bene cial; the simplest option is
to have two metre markings on the oor,
but this should be monitored. Manned
guarding is an option, but it’s expensive
and adds to the number of people in the
area.
MANUFACTURING/FACILITIES – CORONAVIRUS
“The alternative is to monitor the
queue through CCTV analytical software
and combine it with an Audio Talk-down
service, where operatives at a remote
monitoring centre can issue a live alert.
Many CCTV cameras already have twoway
audio so you may nd you can use
your existing security cameras for this
purpose.”
Marriott continues: “CCTV video
analytics enables you to go one step
further, by identifying when people are
congregating in too small an area. Crowd
video analytics focuses on speci c
areas, providing an estimation of the
number of people present in a given
area. The system can generate an alert
if the occupancy of an area exceeds a
speci ed threshold. An operative can
then communicate with those people
advising them to social distancing
requirements or even to move out of the
area altogether.
“Security systems can also be
utilised to support other workplace
safety measures, including thermal
imaging cameras to detect elevated
temperatures see also pp. 40-41;
proximity and facial recognition systems
for non-contact door access; and remote
video monitoring of the new drop o
points or transfer zones that have
been recommended, to prevent people
passing things directly to each other.”
Jonathan Harlock, MD of monitoring
specialist Sypro, adds that while it can
gOutihdearn gcoevernment
Guidance for construction and other
outdoor work: www.is.gd/towala
Guidance for people who work in, or from,
vehicles: www.is.gd/lucame
Guidance for labs and research facilities:
www.is.gd/qiveta
be di cult to maintain social distancing
policies in the workplace, IP camera
technology will also be a “valuable tool”
in helping to keep sta safe and business
running smoothly.
The rm has recently introduced
a social distancing solution from
UbiqiSense that sees sensors installed
through IP camera feeds that monitor
workspaces through so-called sensing
algorithms (pictured, above left). This
is said to ensure that rooms are not
over-occupied, to see whether people
are working too closely together, and to
link to warning lights or announcements
to help people stay safe. The system
can recognise body shapes but not
individuals, so sta privacy can be
maintained, according to Sypro. A video
of the system in action is available at
www.is.gd/romeso.
STAY TUNED
This is just a snapshot of the current
guidance, mitigation measures and
additional product support that
businesses working within factory, plant
and warehouse settings may nd useful
for social distancing. The reaction to
Coronavirus is a fast-moving situation
and all businesses should keep up-todate
with any announcements and
changes. As lockdown is further eased,
it is imperative that we all take steps
to stop the spread, and resurgence, of
Covid-19.
Autumn 2020 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 39
/towala
/lucame
/qiveta
/romeso
/www.operationsengineer.org.uk