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9 tech products companies can buy for reopening offices during the pandemic

There are a range of new products available to help the enterprise prepare to safely bring employees back to the workplace.

Offices are reopening after weeks of working from home due to the pandemic. Unless the business has adopted Twitter’s example (all remote, all the time), companies will  need to adapt the existing office setup, or implement safety features in the office space to help fight the spread of COVID-19. 

In addition to keeping six feet apart, and wearing masks, the nine products on this list will help to build confidence for anyone wary of returning to the workspace.  Reopening options include customizable panels, overhead UV disinfecting lights, voice activated trash cans, private and secure booths, and a temperature kiosk. The latter is the first step, right at the entrance to the office to start the process of creating a healthy and safe office environment. 



Image: Humanscale

Employers are trying to facilitate a safe return to work, without disrupting the work flow established from the months of telecommuting due to the coronavirus. Humanscale’s WellGuard Separation Panels are customizable to desk size, easy to install, and durable. The panels are available in clear resin or felted, and mounts can be either permanent or removable. Designed for open-office desk setups, the panels are designed to provide acoustical privacy, while still being able to see colleagues. Humanscale reports “that separation panels can protect employees by decreasing airflow between workstations to reduce airborne transmission of viral particles… and that stiller air can lower infection rates within a given space.” Price reflects the starting cost of a single panel.

$200 at Humanscale


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Image: Simplehuman

This 58L dual recycling/trash can operates with voice control (say “open can,” and it will). It will also respond to “stay open,” and won’t close until someone says “close can” or after 10 minutes). Additionally, a motion sensor will respond to a wave of the hand. It also has a liner “pocket,” which both stores (out-of-sight), as well as dispenses the proprietary liner. The can’s steel surface has a fingerprint-proof coating with Agion, an EPA-registered antimicrobial. This dual-compartment option is designed for recycling. Plug-in power adapter is included or takes six AA alkaline batteries. Available in brushed, rose gold, white and black stainless steel (+$10). 

$250 at Simplehuman


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Image: Alcove

New for 2020, this pod measures 41″ W x 41″ D x 86.5″ H. While its original intention was as an office privacy phone booth, it will meet the requisite requirements for safety and social distancing. It’s also soundproof, echo-free, has casters for easy moving, a steel frame and cladding, an aluminium door, double laminated glass, carpet, an adjustable stool with footrest, a coat hook, AC power, and USB charging outlets, as well as cool white light with constant air circulation.

$4,800 at Alcove


Violet Defense - UV Disinfection

Violet Defense’s UV disinfection system designed to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
Image: Violet Defense

Part of the Violet Defense family of UV disinfection products from Siemens, these UV lights provide clinical-level UV disinfection. The system is called the pulsed Xenon solution. The UV lights can kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including E. coli, Salmonella, Norovirus, MRSA and more, up to 6.5 feet away. UV tech companies Seoul Viosys and Sensor Electronic Technology announced on April 2 that they were successful in killing 99.9% of coronavirus (COVID-19) in 30 seconds in testing conducted by researchers at Korea University. Violet Defense can provide UV disinfection from above with a high-intensity UV disinfection fixture that can be installed in the ceiling. The price is for the single UV light.

$3,800 at Violet Defense


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Image: Truyo

Janus offers employers contactless temperature-checking kiosks at office entrances/exits, monitored by a screener. It was designed for companies that are looking to adapt and implement stricter regulation in the office, as well as contactless, social distancing, and wellness check measures. Businesses can comply with new strict wellness checks and social distancing expectations. Janus features: Intuitive customizable user interface design (UI)/user experience design (UX) and customizable screening questions, ID card authentication via drivers license,
 government-issued,
employee ID, loyalty card. It provides businesses with an intelligent thermal temperature scan and can be facial recognition capable and is ADA compliant. There are four tiers to choose from, one portal to 20 portals. Starting price is listed.

$3,000 at Truyo


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Image: Vioguard

The Vioguard Cubby can be inserted in the keyboard and plugged into the computer to sanitize a keyboard as well as a mouse. A 360-degree UV-C sanitizing chamber, Vioguard uses UV-C light from all directions and kills greater than 99.99% of HAIs (healthcare-associated infections) in less than a minute. Cubby destroys germs, bacteria, and viruses at the molecular level, the amount required to destroy these infectious agents.  

$600 at Vioguard


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Image: Vioguard

The Vioguard Defender is a self-sanitizing ultraviolet (UV-C) keyboard and trackpad with FDA clearance, which uses the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to disinfect the keyboard and trackpad after each use. Vioguard said the system is 99.99% effective in killing harmful microorganisms within seconds, thus eliminating the need for manual disinfection and disposal of biohazard waste. It self-sanitizes after two, five, or 10 minutes of nonuse, depending on the user’s selection.

$2,000 at Vioguard


armband

Image: MākuSafe

In May, the safety data and analytic company MākuSafe announced it would adapt its existing wearable technology (specifically an armband), developed earlier this year, toward a return to the office. The armband was built to process human motion, environmental, and location data. The features added to adhere to the coronavirus safety regulations include contact tracing reports and worker density mapping. “We were very conscious about adhering to our core standards on worker privacy,” said Gabe Glynn, co-founder and CEO of MākuSafe. Price reflects starting price and per armband.

$22 at MākuSafe


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image: Viper

Thermal imaging cameras are used as a prescreening device, which identifies the EBT—this may mean the person has a fever, one of the symptoms of COVID-19 (the CDC says 85% hospital admissions for the coronavirus had fevers). The EBT is part of Lenovo’s ThinkIoT. Viper noted: “Thermal imaging cameras measure the radiated infrared energy of an object and convert that mathematically to a temperature based on the radiance of an object being measured. Each pixel on the camera has a calibrated temperature reading. Viper makes clear that while it is not medical grade, it provides early detection of temperatures. The Viper EBT offers real-time identification of fevers/elevated body temperatures, quick and noncontact screening process, can be visual and/or audible alarm, can store temperature data and images. An automated version is also available.

$28,800 at Viper

Source: TechRepublic