EXP COVID-19 Offices White Paper

RISK REDUCTION | 13

3. RISK REDUCTION

Infection control is about controlling risk. It includes a multileveled systems approach, with consideration given to complex variations in transmission, people, the environment they are in, and purposeful redundancy. The SARS- CoV-2 virus has four known paths of transmission. We must prepare a plan to take adequate steps to reduce the risk of transmission with purposeful approaches and appropriate systems. The following sections review the known technologies that may help us reduce the associated risk with each path.

Path One (Large Droplet) Transmission

Air handling systems, general dilution ventilation and pressure differentials do not influence this short-range transmission of large droplets. Health organizations recommend social distancing as the only solution to reduce risk. Planners, architects and interior designers should be consulted to identify the best method to organize spaces and people. Emerging approaches that we all have seen at our local neighborhood grocery store may include partitions and/or glass barriers. In addition, it is assumed cloth face mask may help reduce the size and number of droplets coming from infected individuals. Because of this, our employees wearing face masks will become a part of our new normal. SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY Utilizing one’s mobile device as a substitute for a card access key has been a common alternative for guests at major hotel chains for several years. It may soon become the standard method of building access as businesses seek to limit physical interactions between employees. Giving employees the option to building access via their own personal device, get a key loaded to their device, and enter their workspace, breakrooms and conference rooms without interacting with staff satisfies most employees’ needs without physical contact. Figure 10. EXP employee working from the office wearing a mask

Implementing this system into an existing hotel depends entirely upon the system currently installed. For example, most of ASSA ABLOY, Dormakaba and Salto Systems solutions are ready for mobile access implementation with a minor upgrade of an added BLE (Bluetooth) emitter to each lock. Each manufacturer has individual requirements for software upgrades. Finally, utilizing mobile access technology encourages hotels to develop a mobile app, which can be another contact point between the business and the guest, increasing opportunities to promote return trips, exclusive offers and send personalized messages.

Figure 12. Keyless entry systems help limit physical interaction (17)