In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we have been discussing internally not only about the safety of our staff and our customers, but if there is anything further we can do to help “flatten the curve”. For example, how you go about reopening your business is key.
Stopping The Spread Of Germs
Reading about how the COVID-19 virus is able to live for up to 72 hours on metal, really got us thinking about alternative solutions to not just the metal handles of entry doors, but to the ubiquitous push button entry systems we see everywhere. This is possibly a serious transmission point that should be regularly cleaned throughout the day. Obviously, it is unreasonable to think that there are going to be employees standing at every automatic door entrance cleaning the handles and push buttons after every use. So an alternative is needed. Enter the SureWave family of actuator switches.
How Do Hands-free Automatic Door Actuators Work?
At CFS Canada, we are able to simply and easily retrofit ANY button, switch or operator with a SureWave automatic actuator. These hands-free operators work by sensing motion or presence at the desired distance setting within 1 to 30 inches of the switch. Just wave your hand in front of it. The actuator can be hardwired, wireless and/or battery-operated to provide for a massive range of retrofit applications. These hands-free actuators work exactly the same way as a normal push-button switch works, only there is no need to physically touch the button. It’s like Magic!
What Else Can We Do To Lower Transmission?
If swapping all of the actuators on your automatic doors to handsfree is not an option for you, consider having CFS Canada technicians or your maintenance department modify some of the settings of your existing automatic doors, such as:
- Increasing the time limit of how long a door will stay open can limit the number of people who reach for the buttons or grab the handles
- Increasing the effective distance of existing motion sensors can lower door failures while improving the flow of people through the door without touching the handles and preventing people from bunching up at the entry
- Keep sensors clean to ensure correct functioning
- Closing and barring non-automatic doors so that visitors make use of the automatic doors
With COVID-19 just starting to take hold in Canada and Ottawa (at the time of this post), we understand it can be a bit of a scary and anxious time for people. The situation seems to be changing so quickly that we find it helpful to remember that we are all in this together. The Corona Virus isn’t something that only affects certain people or groups – this is about being a human, doing our best to find solutions and being mindful of other humans.
At CFS we embrace the social responsibility of physical distancing, self-isolation (when necessary) and offering our employees the ability to work from home. We are open and available to business and facility owners who wish to quickly add touch-free solutions to their entrances, offices and buildings. Reach out to our team if you have any questions on creating touch-free entrances.