Innovative touch-free technologies you need to know about

Remember the “good old days” when you would borrow a pen from a colleague (or even a stranger), open doors using the doorknob without wondering who touched it before you, and turn on the light without sanitizing afterwards? Times have changed, and so has the way we think about the spread of germs. Previously mundane office activities are now considered health risks. Thankfully, technology has evolved to assist our daily office routines through touchless technology.

Automated soap, sinks, towels, and sanitizers

In order to kill the germs that cause illness, it’s important to scrub your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. In a pinch, hand sanitizers can also kill germs if used properly. However, pumping a soap dispenser, turning the faucet on and off, and using the lever to dispense towels can put germs right back onto your hands. Opt for touch-free soap and sanitizer dispensers and automatic faucets to minimize touching shared surfaces.

Touch-free doors

While opening doors with a towel is a tried-and-true strategy, consider adding touchless door pulls or motion-activated sensors to your office. The addition of touchless door pull hardware enables employees to use their feet, elbows, or arms to open doors and maintain clean hands while motion-activated sensors open doors without any physical contact.

Touchless sign-in

Before the global pandemic, visitor sign-ins were often tracked by paper and pen or entering information on a shared iPad, with no thought of germ transmission. Now, it’s more important than ever to know who’s in the office for contact tracing and capacity management. Wellcome offers an app-free solution using Apple or Android digital wallets for a touch-free check-in with contact tracing functionality.

Voice-activated technology

Siri lives in your phone and you can speak to Alexa at home, but this technology is also available for businesses. Utilize voice-activated technology to assist with turning on lights, or changing the music -- all without touching anything or coming into contact with another person.

App (instead of remote) control of HVAC

Is your office’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controlled through a wall-mounted thermostat or remote control? These are often neglected when sanitizing and can be a culprit for spreading germs. Wifi-enabled smart thermostats allow you to control the HVAC system through an app on a phone or iPad, enabling control of temperature from anywhere. In case of another lockdown, you can have peace of mind knowing that you won’t be heating or cooling an empty office.

Touchless thermometers

Whether or not temperature checks are a part of your daily check-in routine, touchless thermometers are an essential office item and a great way to minimize the spread of germs. While these thermometers do not come into contact with the person whose temperature is being taken, the thermometer’s base must be held. To reduce the spread of germs, assign one employee the job of taking temperatures.

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Reducing the need to touch shared surfaces reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. Invest in touchless technology for healthier employees and higher productivity.