How Temporary Clearance Filters Can Help Your Business Safely Reopen

By Ashley Tousignant, Senior Product Manager, Access Control, Johnson Controls
We all have had to grow and adapt in the year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with most jobs going fully remote for months on end and many more remaining primarily work from home (WFH) well into the new year. As businesses prepare to welcome employees back on site, it is a critical time to assess the tools and protocols available for an effective re-opening and to help prevent further spread. Whether it be health screening checkpoints, people flow guidelines, distanced work areas, or low-cost options, such as arm or foot pulls to open doors, everything needs consideration to ensure safety is maintained.

Designated health screening areas are the new norm as buildings re-open and security professionals need to ask themselves if they are going to need one at the main entrance or several across a campus. Having the flexibility to restrict access to certain doors until personnel have successfully passed a health checkpoint is critical. Being able to do so with existing deployed credentials provides an optimal solution. Johnson Controls has just released a new Temporary Clearance Filter option with Tyco Software House C•CURE 9000, to ensure only screened cardholders have access to most readers. Once personnel complete their screening and swipe their card at a reader in a designated area, their clearance level is raised which allows them access to additional doors according to their standard clearance level.

Do you have the budget to invest in the latest technology? Biometric readers and thermal cameras might be something to look into to complement the Temporary Clearance Filter and screening process. Iris readers are a great biometric offering that are not hindered by the sea of masks that we are all too familiar with, while providing a non-contact method of verification. With the Illustra Pro Thermal Elevated Skin Temperature solution, you can add potential human febrile detection verification to force medical clearance prior to general facility access. This technology exceeds IEC standards with a ± 0.2°C accuracy.

So, even though you now have your health screening squared away, and desks and work areas have all been set six feet apart, the unfortunate reality is that most businesses will likely have a positive case at some point. Having a solid plan in place to respond to a positive case will significantly help remediate the situation and prevent the opportunity for spread. C•CURE 9000 offers a Contagion Report that allows you to easily identify which doors a person accessed and what individuals they came in contact with on a time basis.

Re-opening during a pandemic is a huge undertaking with so many unique situations that need to be taken into consideration. There are some great options and tools available in the market today to help alleviate some of the main concerns as you implement new procedures. You are not alone, we are in this together. Stay healthy and… don’t forget to wash your hands!

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