As employers create plans for the return of the workforce, a portfolio of technologies comes together to help create a safe work environment. Customizing the solutions to fit the environment and integrating the solution requires the expertise of a partner like Wachter.

AiRISTA has teamed up with Wachter Inc. to help employers prepare for the return of the workforce. Wachter brings a broad portfolio of solutions and integration expertise to ensure the solution fits the nuances of each situation:

  • Social Distancing
  • Contact Tracing
  • Body Temperature Monitoring

 

Large Auto Manufacture

Challenge:

A major auto manufacturer wanted to roll out AiRISTA’s Social Distancing & Contact Tracing (SD&CT) solution ahead of IT’s wireless network planning.

  • Manufacturers are very guarded of their production networks. External threats have the potential to bring a halt to production.
  • As experts in Cisco Systems network security, Wachter helped define the security measures while implementing temporary access to the AiRISTA cloud portal bypassing the production network.

 

Response:

Wachter chose a cellular alternative to the production Wi-Fi network as a temporary solution to speed deployment of the SD&CT solution. The solution collected employee contact information stored in the AiRISTA tags using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and transmitted this information to the AiRISTA cloud portal over cellular.

  • A computer tablet with BLE and cellular support was selected.
  • 2 Tablets were placed on hallway walls leading to the exit.
  • An AiRISTA application on the tablet detects employees’ tags from 50 feet. As employees pass, the tags communicate their history of stored contacts to the tablets over BLE.
  • The tablets use an integrated cellular radio to upload the contact information to the AiRISTA SD&CT cloud portal.
  • Additional tablets were strategically placed in areas like break rooms to collect contact histories throughout the workday.

 

Major Industrial Customer

Challenge:

The CDC recommends temperature screening to help avoid coronavirus in the workplace. The EEOC has made an exception to workplace rules saying temperature taking is acceptable, but solutions that look good on paper are difficult to implement in a practical and accurate way due to the following reasons:

  • Bottlenecks at checkpoints reduce productivity
  • Handheld devices require people to come into close contact
  • The CDC recommends 100.4F as a threshold for COVID-19 symptoms, but facial temperatures change as someone moves from the outside to indoors.

Response:

Using thermal detecting infrared cameras, peoples’ temperatures can be read at a distance instantly. The Wachter TempWatch Solution brings a body temperature monitoring system designed to detect individuals with abnormal body temperatures. The AI face detection algorithm can distinguish individuals in a crowd and provide their respective face temperatures.

  • Taking workflow patterns into account, Wachter worked with the customer to place the cameras in areas where employees would pass only after making the necessary stop at lockers to stash personal items. This provided enough time to capture accurate body temperatures after entering from outdoors.
  • Camera placement was carefully determined in a way that gave the best opportunity to read faces rather than the side or back of heads.
  • The system was integrated with alerts to trigger when elevated temperatures were detected. The image of the face and association with a specific individual allows fast follow-up.

Working with Wachter, customers are able to integrate a holistic solution to workplace safety. An integrated view of the components creates a dashboard to centrally manage employee health and reduce workplace flare-ups.

Learn more about our Social Distancing and Contact Tracing Solution in our solution brief.

 

Matt Tyler

Director of IOT

Wachter, Inc.

 

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