With infections of Coronavirus (COVID-19) rising it is important that your business is doing all it can to help reduce transmission. The current month-long lockdown might give you time to invest in these solutions from advanced CCTV manufacturer, Avigilon, before you reopen. Alternatively, if you are still operating, for example in essential retail, these could be products that could help you right now.
Whatever your situation, as a security firm Security Group can continue to operate during the lockdown, and can advise you on these technological solutions aimed at supporting companies to keep transmission of COVID-19 low.
H4 Thermal Elevated Temperature (ETD) solution
Avigilon has launched the Avigilon H4 Thermal Elevated Temperature (ETD) solution. This comprises the Avigilon H4 security-grade thermal camera, embedded with edge-based analytics to detect faces and notify operators of elevated skin temperature, coupled with a blackbody uniform temperature source, providing a low friction, contactless alternative to traditional screening methods. The blackbody device acts as an absolute temperature reference point for the thermal camera.
To operate this you will need the latest version of the Avigilon Control Center software – ACC 7.10. The software can then be configured to show temperature overlays on a face detected by the camera in live and recorded video. These overlays are configurable to have an elevated, expected and low temperature state. Analytic rules can be created for each of these states which allow a user to trigger events and alarms.
When the thermal camera detects an individual’s skin temperature to be higher than a set threshold, the individual can be sidelined for additional screening with a secondary approved method, such as using a thermometer and enlisting a medical professional opinion.
Social Distancing detection
The previous upgrade of the ACC 7 software (ACC 7.8) allowed CCTV operators to detect breaches of social distancing guidelines around sites and inside buildings. This technology works when combined with embedded analytics within the advanced Avigilon H5A cameras.
The technology can demonstrate to those managing commercial spaces or other buildings, like schools or healthcare settings, where there are potential bottlenecks and so social distancing will be difficult. This will allow managers to make changes within the buildings, for example, by only allowing people to walk in one direction through a corridor to reduce the numbers having to be in close proximity to each other.
Additionally, if necessary, you could provide audible warnings to those breaching social distancing guidelines at the time. Security Group’s engineers have expertise in integrating the Avigilon CCTV system with IP enabled speakers and a SIP microphone as part of a school lockdown solution which we can adapt to these new requirements.
Occupancy Counting
Occupancy Counting can provide you with an easy and streamlined way to count and identify the number of people on your premises. The feature aims to remove the staffing costs required to count people manually and the subsequent guesswork on occupancy by frontline employees, particularly where buildings have multiple entry and exit points. Occupancy Counting helps organisations also comply with social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people in a building, thereby reducing the interactions between them.
This solution is available if you have H4A or H5A cameras and have upgraded to ACC 7.6.4 and are using Avigilon Cloud Services (ACS). The feature is also available if you have third-party cameras attached to an Avigilon Artificial Intelligence Appliance. The cameras should be specially placed at the entry and exit points of a building or area to monitor people as they enter and leave.
Face Mask Detection
Face coverings are compulsory in the UK in shops and take-aways as well as in banks, post offices, on public transport and in hospitals.
Enforcing the rules are important and Avigilon’s Face Mask Detection technology is available with ACC 7.6.4 and provides effective monitoring and enables proactive, real-time responses from your team. This feature relies on AI-enabled video analytics and specially-placed security cameras to determine when an individual is not wearing a face mask within your site. Once the feature detects an individual is in violation this prompts an automated alert through the ACC 7 software.
Like with social distancing rule breaches you could enforce compliance by providing an audible warning to those involved and Security Group has the expertise to adapt the technology to do this.
Body-worn camera
Avigilon is now part of Motorola Solutions, and at this time when staff may find themselves having to enforce compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, the lightweight Motorola Solutions VT100 body-worn camera could be a useful tool.
The camera is designed to extend and enrich your current CCTV system by providing live, first-person perspective video and audio. When the camera is connected to WIFI the footage will feed through to your video management software. We would recommend that you use the ACC 7 software as it is intuitive and easy to use. The footage will then appear as a camera feed in the same way as happens with your fixed cameras.
The camera can be used by security staff or in customer-facing roles who may find themselves in challenging situations with the public. If there is an incident the employee can tell the aggressor that they are wearing a body-worn camera, which it is found can de-escalate the situation right away. However, in cases where the abuse continues, the VT100 can be activated by the employee simply with a one-push press on the device. As well as turning on the live camera feed you can also set it to trigger an alarm, if necessary.
Contact Tracing Capability: Access Control and CCTV
Meanwhile Security Group is also a specialist in Avigilon’s access control system. This can be used with Avigilon’s CCTV to assist with contact tracing if employees are found to need to isolate after showing symptoms of COVID-19.
There could, for example, be an employee at a distribution centre who becomes infected and then has to self-isolate. Managers or security staff at the site can use the access control system to produce an identity correlation report which can be used to identify doors that have been used by the employee and the date and time of that access as contaminated handles could pose a risk to transmission. Following this, all other members of staff that also entered or left via those doors within the timeframe that the employee used them can be contacted.
Avigilon’s CCTV system can also be used to track people within the building that may have come into contact with that employee. If users also have identity search or appearance search within their ACC system, they will be able to pick out the infected employee more easily.
Contact us for support
Security Group has experience of working with businesses and organisations to develop bespoke solutions. If you want support to help you reduce Covid-19 risks please get in touch.