2 Considerations Before Implementing a Temperature Kiosk in Your Facility

Fever screening technology is a hot topic these days. The coronavirus has followed us into 2021, and widespread vaccinations are still several months away, but many companies and public places are open for in-person business again. Now businesses are looking for solutions to keep employees, customers and visitors safe in office buildings, stores, restaurants, health clinics, schools and other public areas.

One popular solution is fever screening technology, which uses thermal imaging to map a person’s body heat and determine if they have an elevated temperature. Fever detection systems can scan a person’s skin temperature within seconds and issue an alert if the reading falls outside a preset range.

A properly installed and implemented system can be a useful tool to identify potentially sick people and prevent them from spreading germs to others in your location. If you’re considering fever screening technology, keep these considerations in mind before implementing a temperature kiosk solution in your Scottsdale, AZ facility.

SEE ALSO: A Hands-Off Approach: Tools for Creating Touchless Meeting Spaces

Accuracy

It’s not entirely accurate to say that thermal imaging cameras can determine if someone has a fever. The cameras can measure skin temperature, but not inner body temperature. And there are plenty of reasons other than fever why someone’s skin temperature might be elevated — a high-intensity exercise class, walking inside from a hot day, even certain medications and chronic illnesses.

For these reasons, a temperature kiosk functions most effectively as a pre-screening tool to quickly identify potentially ill individuals before they enter your facility. But after the system flags people with elevated temperatures, your business needs to have secondary screening measures in place.

Additional screening measures could involve taking a second temperature reading with an oral thermometer or asking individuals if they’ve had contact with coronavirus-positive individuals over the past two weeks.

Staffing and Integration

There are multiple processes for controlling and monitoring fever screening solutions — your business needs to consider which solution will be the most effective for your location, depending on traffic volume, space, and staffing availability. Here are some options to consider:

• Standalone, self-service kiosk. Self-service kiosks are a touchless solution equipped with audio and video instructions that guide individuals through the screening. A standalone kiosk can be integrated with video chat and virtual reception features so that employees can aid visitors while maintaining social distancing.
• Integrated kiosk. Kiosk solutions can be integrated with facial recognition and access control to automatically grant access to a location once an individual passes the screening.
• Fully staffed kiosk. Depending on your location’s traffic volume, you may need a fully staffed solution on the ground to monitor the kiosk and keep traffic moving.

In every fever screening solution, staffing availability plays a significant role. If you have a self-service or integrated solution, do you have designated staff to receive alerts and handle secondary screenings when individuals fail the preliminary screening? If you need a fully staffed solution, do you have sufficient staff to rotate employees in shifts? Consider the staffing component when you’re allocating budget, time and resources to maintaining a fever screening solution.

At Level 3 Audiovisual, we use our unique blend of AV expertise and healthcare technology knowledge to bring innovative technology solutions like temperature kiosks to organizations in Scottsdale, AZ and across the globe. To learn more, fill out an online form or click the chatbox below to instantly connect with our team. We look forward to working with you!