Touchless Fixtures Prepare Buildings for a Safe Return



The pandemic has moved touchless technology from "nice to have" to "must have." Here's how one facility has incorporated touch-free access control and other technologies.




Facilities managers have been taking advantage of touchless technology for years. However, the pandemic has really pushed these innovations to the forefront and made them "must-have" products in order to safely welcome back occupants. Facilities managers and their contractors have been working together to prepare buildings for a safe return to the office by focusing on myriad contactless retrofits.

With the need to ensure the health and safety of workers at an all-time high, Powering Chicago's highly-qualified union electrical contractors are seeing their industrial and commercial clients seek out these technologies in record numbers. One example of this is at a large corporate organization in downtown Chicago.

The facilities leadership at this business worked with a long-time partner and Chicagoland union electrical contractor, Terrance Electric, to efficiently install temperature reading scanners and to upgrade their card access system, making them both touchless. With the new touchless technologies, along with other new measures, the facilities managers are ready for employees to have a safe and healthy return to in-person work.

Touch-free entry

New access control turnstiles were installed in the lobby entrance before reaching the elevators. The new card readers can scan from a greater distance so there are less chances of touching the device.Powering Chicago


Quick temp

If not vaccinated, people walk by temperature scanners instead of requiring a security officer to hold a handheld device. Now, traffic moves faster and the facility can handle greater volume without lines. Powering Chicago


High alert

This camera reports back to a laptop. If someone has a high temperature, the officer can pull them off to the side. Powering Chicago


Safe to touch

Nanotechnology skins and wraps were placed on both the ADA push button and door handles. Although users still need to use their hands to open the door, the mineral nano-crystals embedded into the wraps use UV light and oxygen to create an oxidation reaction that kills germs, leaving it safe for the next user. Powering Chicago


Don't contaminate clean hands

If restroom users don't wash their hands for the recommended 15-20 seconds, they will spread germs to anything they touch. Installing touchless fixtures like this towel dispenser helps reduce cross-contamination. Powering Chicago



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  posted on 11/3/2021   Article Use Policy




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