The lift door opens and Ms. Rhea D’Souza and her boss move together towards the office main door. The boss fling opens the main door and keeps his finger on the Biometric Access Control Time and Attendance Reader to gain entry into the office. Ms. Rhea is now skeptical to keep her finger on the same device. She uses the hand sanitizer kept at the office reception, cleans the biosensor and then registers her biometric attendance. Enter to the new world of “Zero Trust Security” which may well be the future at most enterprises across India. The complete paradigm of safety and security in offices is all set to change forever.
The war against Covid-19 is a real one, which Corporate India will have to grapple without a choice. Covid-19 poses some very serious security and safety challenges at our work place. The enemy cannot be seen, its shape and form is not known, it does not get tired, it’s ruthlessly aggressive and worst, it kills. While Covid-19 continues showing its devastating effects,Corporate India will have to work out a strategic plan to combat this menace to keep its environment and people, safe and secure.
Once the lockdown opens, the government is most likely contemplating to make CEO of companies take full responsibility of managing the Covid-19 infection from spreading within their individual enterprises. The current business situation is extremely fluid as every day conditions continue to change, be it guessing how long the lock-down will last, uncertainty of future earnings, lost business scale and size, customers cancelling business contracts or refusing to meet up sometime soon, supply chain issues and the impending fear to go to work.
So what are the security and safety remedies or solutions that enterprises need to embrace to make their workplace insulated against the menace of Corona virus?
Here are a few recommendations:
- Contact-less Access Control: Face Recognition System integrated with Non-Contact Medical Accuracy Temperature Detection is a next generation access control and attendance terminal. Access control device features include fast and precise Face Recognition, coupled with Non-Contact IR based Wrist Temperature Detection System. Face Mask Detection feature with alarm warning and access restriction to employees and visitors not wearing masks. Non-Contact Wrist Detection with access restriction measuring abnormal body temperature with a 2 degree centigrade+above the normal. A dedicated temperature display system showing real time count of people restricted for high temperature detection with the highest temperature recorded during the day.
- Body Temperature Screening Thermal Camera: When this thermal camera detects someone into the monitored area, there is a voice alert, “ Kindly go to the measuring point for temperature measurement.” When the body comes near, within 1 metre and 30 degree of the camera field of view, it will measure the temperature within 0.5 seconds, display the temperature on the terminal and send this information if required on the cloud for future reference.
- Virtual Security Guard: During lock-downs, manpower guarding of premises poses a huge challenge. Plus add to it the cost and efficiency of having expensive security guards for securing business premises. To mitigate this risk, enterprises could opt for Virtual Security Guards for securing their business premises. There is zero human dependency plus it is very cost-effective and reliable. In case of any break ins’, an alarm is triggered in the central monitoring station, video verification is initiated to check the scene of crime, two way audio is used to speak and warn the intruder and raise the siren from the command and control station, after which calls are made to the local police station or the QRT (Quick Response team.) This service is expected to just cost 15 % of the cost of annual manpower services.
- Video Housekeeping using CCTV Cameras: To check and identify staff and visitors not wearing face masks, gloves, Personal Protection Gears, not maintaining sufficient social distancing, checking hygiene conditions at all the common areas, including all the working desks. Triggers are generated when any violation of the company policies are noticed and reported to the HR department or to the monitoring desk.
- Employee Productivity Monitoring: With fewer staff, enterprises need to ensure that every employee at the work place is highly productive. With CCTV monitoring using AI algorithm, one keeps a watch on the operations to ensure all the employees are engaged in doing work and not wasting their working hours. Rules can be created using AI tools, wherein any exceptions are reported to the HR Department and to the monitoring desk.
- De-Sanitization: This is a new compliance, which every enterprise now needs to adhere to. Cleaning and de-contamination of the entire premise, especially entrance gate of the building, canteen, meeting rooms, lifts and equipment, washroom, interior and exterior walls etc. It will also be important to de-sanitize all transport vehicles owned by the company that are commonly used.At the work place to have a hand sanitizer preferably with touch-free mechanism at all entry and exit points.At locations where the number of people entering and exiting the premise is very high, one should consider installing a sanitizing tunnel or chamber which is gaining more and more acceptance with each passing day.
- Medical Facilities: Medical Insurance to be made compulsory for all the workers.Hospital and Clinics in the nearby areas which are authorized for Covid-19 testing should be identified and the list to be made available at the work place at all times or with the HR department.
- Workplace Measures: All employees to wear masks at the work place continuously while maintaining a distance of one meter between two co-workers. Lunch timings need to avoid over-crowding and maintain social distancing. If any worker falls sick, it must be reported to the nearest health authorities. All employees and their families should download the ‘Aarogya Setu’App.
Vigilance will have to become the buzzword in the world post Covid-19. Safety & Security wise, it will be a relatively new environment that each one of us will have to learn to live and cope with. Health being the first priority, all due measures will have to be taken unfailingly and strict adherence to it, a compulsion for a safe and healthy environment and ultimately for a secure future ahead. The bugle has been sounded, it’s time for enterprise security to undergo a sea change.
