The Office and Sensored Social Distancing

After months of being out of the office for many people, returning back to work can be a challenge—with anxiety, concerns, and new practices.

The idea of heading back into the workplace may be daunting for both property managers and building occupants alike. While some have made the transition; teams currently in the office are in need of new protocols. Keeping everyone safe for the long term during these challenging times requires the office sector to be open to forming creative solutions.

Thankfully, offices can use cutting-edge technologies to make the impossible, possible - and this is able to spark hope for the successful and safe of office environments.

Tech and COVID

Throughout the pandemic, technology has been one of the industry’s response to coping with the onslaught of new challenges.

Technology has played a special role for offices and their often newly remote teams. When team members couldn’t come into work, online project platforms and video calls kept business afloat. When the freshly-vacated buildings were struggling to balance utility consumption, data tech helped monitor and regulate usage.

Now that it seems we are on the brink of a vaccine and hopefully moving forward with market recovery, the coronavirus may still remain a challenge in the office sector. There’s a pressing need for enhanced collaborations with technology to promise safety and security for office tenants.

A Need for Social Distancing

Within the office sector, one of the largest concerns that’s weighing on recovery is social distancing. Offices are filled with high-touch areas, such as entrances, break rooms, restrooms, and elevators. Keeping these areas consistently clean and sanitized requires a level of precision that may go beyond human capacity.

Traveling to and from the office daily adds even more stress to social distancing concerns. As we all know from experience with the pandemic, it can only take one person to spark an outbreak. Due to this, accurate testing of building occupants paired with proper social distancing is a safe step for the future of office assets.

Unfortunately, these necessities are easier said than done. However, some offices are trying out a tech tool to regulate social distancing within the workplace.

Giving Sensors a Whirl

Some office property owners are putting their faith in sensor technology to keep office workers socially distant. It might sound a little crazy - but it might just be crazy enough to be incredibly effective.

One of the most difficult aspects of the social distancing system is that it requires full compliance. Social distancing measures need to be followed correctly to be effective. There is not room for human error. It’s one thing to put signs up and email the procedures, but a handful of friendly co-workers that feel comfortable with each other can quickly deviate from the rules.

Fortunately, technology isn’t swayed by feelings, friendships, or passing moods. Smart technology tools can help team members avoid these lapses in protocols to foster a safer and healthier office environment.

Sensors programmed with social distancing guidelines can alert team members when the protocols have been breached and the building’s occupants are at risk. They can also be used to track others whom employees have been in contact with, if a positive diagnosis were to be confirmed. Systems like these reinforce the need to keep an appropriate distance while helping team members grow accustomed to these new rules. It may be an awkward adjustment, but many people would trade awkwardness for the potential loss of life. 

Right now, sensors are becoming a promising solution to social distancing at the workplace. Here is a recent article about the use of different sensors. What are your thoughts on this new tech trend?