Now more than ever, people are conscious of germs. A year ago, no one would have thought twice about grabbing a shopping cart or shaking someone’s hand. Today, shopping carts are being sanitized before shoppers touch them, masks and gloves are common items to have on hand, and handshakes have fallen out of favor with the repeated mantra of social distancing and 6 feet apart.
Reducing touchpoints has been a hot topic the past year. With schools getting back to normal and offices slowly coming back to life with in person returns, it is imperative that you help your customers and your Team stay healthy!
Think about everything you touch just walking into your office, the door handle, light switch, coffee machine, countertop, office door, desk, laptop…the list goes on and on. Everyday, these touch points collect their fair share of microorganisms. However, when someone is infected with a virus, these seemingly harmless touch points become a source of infection and transmission. Whether it’s covid, a greek labeled variant, influenza, or just a common cold, some will make headlines around the globe while others just make you miserable.
Being exposed to any of these infectious diseases could make you miss school or work. However, by removing frequently touched items, you can help reduce the amount of pathogens in the environment and reduce the chance of passing a virus around your business.
Today we are going to answer the question: How to reduce touch points? We will also give you 3 tips that you can use to help reduce the spread of germs and minimize frequently touched items.
At Loc-Doc Security, Our Mission is to help you protect your people and your property. We continue to share information like this to help you be informed so you can know the best solutions for the security of your property.
The first tip is to upgrade lightswitches to automatic motion switches. Do you remember The Clapper light switch from the 80’s? The ‘Clap on! Clap off!” jingle will forever be ingrained in my brain! Technology has come a long way since The Clapper and now there are a plethora of motion activated light switches and even smart switches that can easily be incorporated into your office space.
We’ve installed motion activated light switches in our breakroom and you can even consider putting them in restrooms and hallways. Choosing a smart switch can even allow you to utilize AI speakers like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. I always enjoy asking Alexa to “turn off the lights” when leaving for the day!
Having smart switches can help reduce your energy costs which could add up to savings!
The second tip is to leave interior doors open! Doors inside your business (that aren’t a security risk) can be left open! These could be in Breakrooms, Storerooms, Copy rooms, and even hallways. Being able to walk through multiple doors inside your building that you would normally use a handle or knob can help reduce touch points! You can easily do this with a door closer with a hold open arm.
Our final tip is to Use Automatic Door Openers on High Traffic Exterior or Interior Doors. Automatic door openers have already been useful and You’ve probably seen them with ADA push plates.
Now, powered automatic door openers can be combined with a touch free wave to open switch or even a mobile pass on your cell phone that allows people to enter and exit without touching door handles.
Touchless environments used to be something out of a science fiction novel or even as a special feature in hospitals. Now they are in demand and even considered a necessity in multiple areas of a building. With just a few components, any opening can become touchless and hands free! This ensures that there is zero contact on a surface that could be crawling with bacteria and allows everyone in the facility to have peace of mind that their health and safety is priority.
If you want to reduce touchpoints in your facility, schedule a free evaluation!