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Dial Dan: 4 Top Priorities to fit into Your Workspace

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I can’t believe it was only February 20th when my blog posting started with “Unemployment is at a 40 year low”.

While 2019 was all about maximizing labor productivity, 2020 is shaping up to be about how we can all get back to work as safely as possible.

Here are some of the ways that we are helping our clients implement current best practices:

Signage everywhere should be project #1.

Signage – Back in WW2, you couldn’t walk 10 feet at a government facility or factory making war materials without passing a sign that said “Loose lips sink ships” or something similar. It only takes one person to speak out of turn to give the enemy an advantage. Today’s enemy is the virus, and it only takes one or two folks to give it a foothold in a community. We need people wearing masks, maintaining distance, and disinfecting shared surfaces and devices to minimize exposure and spread. We’ve got a huge collection of signage of various sorts that our clients can post throughout their facilities to constantly remind people to stay safe.

Disinfection everywhere should be project #2.

Healthcare Worker wearing a mask and putting on gloves in a hospital room

Disinfection cycles for shared devices – While you can protect yourself from some diseases by wearing gloves, COVID-19 required more in-depth strategies than that. Rather than gloves, constant disinfection of shared devices and surfaces is the way to go. Hospitals and hair salons/barbershops have long used UV light for this purpose, and UV light can be a great way to constantly disinfect things like mobile computers, tools, printers, and keyboards on shared PCs. We’ve got a collection of UV light-based products, long used in hospital settings, available for our clients.

Employee and visitor screening should be project #3.

Zebra Android Scanner being used in a Hospital to track patients barcode

Employee and visitor screening – Keeping sick people out of your facility keeps your employees safe. The best way to do that is via thermal imaging cameras. We’ve got a selection of cameras that can passively monitor employees and visitors as they enter, alerting you to ones that may be running a fever (for future screening).  The cameras can also optionally check for mask usage.

Social distance monitoring and tracing should be project #4.

Real-time social distance monitoring and contact tracing – For our clients lucky enough to have deployed Zebra Android devices in the past few years, we have a solution that can enforce social distancing and also provide for historical contact tracing, via Bluetooth tags. When one user of a Zebra device gets too close to another, both of their devices beep, vibrate and remind them to separate. And, weeks later, when one of them is diagnosed, you can see exactly who they were in contact with and for how long. In the near term future, we expect these technologies to become available on non Zebra devices as well, including employees’ phones (You’ll still need a Zebra Bluetooth tag per employee though for best results).

We hope that it won’t be long before we can get back to figuring out how to maximize employee productivity. In the interim though, please look to us to help you get back to work!

For more information on how to implement these projects into your workforce, dial Dan McCabe for a free remote demonstration and assessment of your current workspace.

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How to Develop an End-to-End Infection Control System

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In years past, infection control systems seemed to be reserved mostly for the healthcare field. Nevertheless, as more COVID-19 cases are reported amongst warehouses and distribution centers, the need for trustworthy and infallible infection control systems has become higher than ever. The question is no longer “if” but “how” you should develop a recurrent infection control system. In our commitment to enhancing operations, Avalon Integration continues in its investigation as to how we can halt germ spread without hindering your workforce’s overall productivity.

Clean. Sanitized. Disinfected. Understand the Difference.

Clean Sanitized Disinfect Control System

From automated cleaning to disinfectant-ready surfaces, there are many options when it comes to creating a thorough cleaning solution. However, before any of these resources are selected, Avalon recommends understanding the crucial difference between your solution’s key aspects since these differences can do more than curb germ spread.

  • Cleaning – As the first step of your infection control process, manual cleaning serves as the front line to germ mitigation, yet it is only a starting point. This step involves wiping down high-touch equipment from any visible grime and dust particles. This should be done whenever devices are utilized in dusty/dirty areas to avoid bringing foreign contaminants into the workplace.
  • Disinfecting – Studies suggest there may be well over 3000 bacteria colonies residing on your handheld devices. Going beyond visible contaminants, proper disinfection strategies eliminate pathogenic microorganisms which are usually the perpetrators behind disease spread. A common disinfection solution can involve liquid chemicals, which if used inadequately can harm your mobile device. As a result, Avalon has worked with Zebra Technologies to provide disinfectant-ready hardware and specified cleaning guides that protect your device while accommodating your preferred disinfection strategy.
  • Sterilizing – Last but not least, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention cites sterilization as the eradication of all microbial life, including bacterial spores which can survive thorough disinfection. Although complete eradication is not likely, experts still encourage facilities to strive towards 100% sterilization when possible. While this procedure may seem more demanding, it can be vital when dealing with shared devices since most pathogens are transmitted via touch. Because today’s warehouses are generally fast-paced environments, Avalon partners with Proximity to accelerate sterilization with UV-Clean, killing 99.99% of bacteria in less than five minutes by scrambling bacterial DNA with controlled UV-C rays. In doing so, you minimize potential illnesses as devices are shared across your workforce.

When implemented correctly, these steps can also stop cross-contamination and other traceability issues in addition to germ spread. Take a closer look into any of these steps when you contact our automation experts today for your free demonstration.

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Preparing Your Storefront for Opening Day

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As one of the most demanding and customer-centric sectors of business, retail often involves a great deal of direct-contact services, potentially exposing both customers and employees to harmful pathogens in high-density areas. Furthermore, because most shoppers still prefer to touch products before purchase, pathogens may also be spread via high-touch surfaces. Lastly, as businesses begin to regrow, device sharing may also become ever more common, further contributing to germ spread. While there may still be weeks before most retail stores officially welcome shoppers, it’s not too early to start planning and developing a reliably thorough infection control system. 

Generating over one trillion dollars in 2017, the retail sector has become a crucial contributor to the U.S. economy, yet after facing one of the biggest health challenges of our time, it’s only natural that customers will expect more from the retail business. Valuing both the employee and customer experience, Avalon Integration is already working with leading manufacturers and innovators in gathering the best resources to help you get ready for opening day.

Open for Business – Not Germs

Open for Business with Disinfection

Open for Business Not for Germs

When creating an infection control system that adapts into the customer-focused retail landscape, combine the power of human intelligence with automated reliability by:

  • Setting time aside for proper disinfection – Just like grocery stores have separated large amounts of time to clean and restock, retail stores can implement similar procedures. Moreover, cleaning procedures should be implemented within workflows as devices are shared between associates.
  • Dedicating labor efforts to oversight – With multiple touch-points spread throughout retail stores, close oversight may be necessary to prevent missed sanitation and cleaning cycles. Further secure sanitation cycles with automated disinfection technologies such as Proximity’s UV-Clean which kills bacteria and records sanitation cycles for future auditing.
  • Choosing committed flexibility – Adaptable to your workspace, UV-Clean’s different mounting options bring the power of ultraviolet disinfection to even the smallest space, eradicating 99.99% of bacteria in under 5 minutes, restoring devices into your workforce’s hands as quick as possible to maximize uptime.

See how UV light stands against germs when you download our infographic.

Not sure where to start? Contact Avalon Integration for a free assessment of your infection control technology and safeguard your employees and customers with solutions built for maximum productivity and safety. 

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