The coronavirus pandemic and its effects still ripple in our lives. So far, over 258 million people have been infected worldwide, with 5.1 million recorded dead. Business people have had to take measures to save their lives and those of their employees. One of such measures has been an increase in the use of temperature kiosks. But do these really help? How accurate are temperature kiosks?. Let’s find out.
As temperature checks have become normal in diverse environments, the temperature kiosk has stood out as one of the most effective ways to handle quick temperature scans. Companies need to tell temperatures accurately to flag anyone that may have COVID-19 and prevent spread to their employees or customers.
But how accurate are the readings of temperature kiosks?
Temperature kiosks give accurate readings at marginal errors of ±0.2 oC at close ranges of about 0.3 meters and an error margin of ±0.5 oC from distances further away. This means that when used appropriately, these kiosks will accurately detect the temperatures of their occupants.
Jump to:
How Do Temperature Kiosks Works
Average Accuracy of Temperature Kiosk
What Happens When a Temperature Kiosk is Inaccurate
Benefits of Owning an Accurate Temperature Kiosk
How to Get an Accurate Temperature Kiosk
How Do Temperature Kiosks Work
First, we’ll explain what temperature kiosks are before revealing how they work. Temperature screening kiosks are devices that use infrared technology and facial recognition to identify and scan a person’s temperature swiftly. It can access temperatures in a couple of seconds, making it great for mass temperature testing at offices, concerts, and other institutions.
You must be in the target range for the device to work: anywhere from 1 foot to 3 feet.
Once the device detects you or your visitor’s presence, it uses a contactless infrared thermometer to scan your forehead or body and take your temperature reading. It displays the temperature on a screen, gives alerts for some temperature ranges, and flags those that do not fall within them.
You can set your temperature screening kiosk according to the acceptable temperature ranges, so anything higher or lower than that is flagged. Typically, 38OC or more is a sign of possible Covid-19 infection. The flagging would mean you should pull the individual aside for additional screening and follow-up questions. Depending on the type of temperature kiosk you purchase, you can also integrate it with doors, so it only opens for individuals with the acceptable temperature range.
Average Accuracy of Temperature Kiosk
As earlier stated, the average temperature kiosk has an accuracy of up to ±0.2 OC for closer range testing and ±0.5 OC for further testing. The device is specially designed to give accurate results for skin temperature. It can capture several levels of infrared light and rapidly scan body temperatures. We got the accuracy figures from repeated tests of individuals at a distance with a trigger temperature of 37.3 OC.
What Happens When a Temperature Kiosk is Inaccurate
Some of the potential dangers of using an inaccurate temperature kiosk include:
Reduced Safety
When you are wrongly convinced that your temperature kiosk will help identify out-of-place temperatures and flag potential COVID-positive people, you expose yourself and your organization to many risks. People who contact infected people can get the virus, and it could spread very quickly. People have lost their businesses because of this mistake.
Exposes You to Compliance Issues
If you don’t have an accurate temperature testing device, your employees could be exposed to the virus, opening you to many liabilities. Also, temperature kiosks help enforce face mask-wearing policies. If they’re not working optimally, you might not be able to keep up with the laws and compliance regulations that enforce them.
Benefits of Owning an Accurate Temperature Kiosk
There are many immense benefits of owning an accurate temperature kiosk, including:
No Need for Additional Personnel
Temperature kiosks are an easy alternative to handheld temperature readers, meaning you don’t have to employ personnel at the entrance to take temperature readings. It reduces the risk to your office personnel and allows them to focus on handling more important tasks. You also get to save about $35 to $90 on hiring agencies to check temperatures manually.
Vaccination Tracking
LamasaTech has temperature screening kiosks that can check the COVID-19 vaccination status of your employees and visitors when they enter the premises. You can use the integrated system to easily read, verify, and track your visitor’s vaccination records to comply with required regulations.
Clocking In / Attendance Check
Apart from checking temperatures, you can also use these devices to screen employees and record when they come to work. This is a very handy feature for warehouse workers or other employees who work on hourly rates. You can integrate your kiosks with attendance systems, so you only need to take information from one point.
It’s also important to scan visitors when they check-in. Lamastech is one of the few companies that allow you to do this remotely by using a remote visitor management system.
Thorough Scanning Before Access
If you integrate your temperature kiosks with your office/building doors, everyone must pass through them before getting access. This means you can make sure you stay compliant with hygienic practices making sure everyone wears face masks and social distancing rules. Only those that abide by your set temperature limits and rules for facial recognition will have access.
How to Get an Accurate Temperature Kiosk
You should get an accurate temperature kiosk if you don’t want to risk exposing your employees and customers to the virus. You can get one by selecting the features you want, and it is usually dependent on the scenario in which you want to use it. Some of the factors to consider are:
Scanning Method: Some methods that temperature kiosks use for scanning temperatures include ear thermometers, body surface temperature scanners, under-the-tongue, etc.
Mount Method: Some temperature kiosks have specific ways of positioning them for use. If you plan to allow children to test with the device, you shouldn’t go for tall ones that may not capture their body temperature.
Extra Features: Some features may be important to your organization or your use case. These include email alerts, user image capture, RFID and NFC reader, contact tracing, remote management software, etc.
Reviews: Make sure to check reviews of any product you are considering to see what people are saying about it before making a purchase. A good place to start is Amazon.
Some great products you can consider are the LAMASATECH temperature kiosks which start at £1,450 and give some immense benefits, including:
- Commercial-grade hardware with different display sizes and touch options
- RFID readers for easy employee sign-in
- A self-service temperature screening system
- Configurable emails and SMS to notify management of abnormalities
- Facial recognition ability with speeds less than 1 second
Bottom Line
COVID-19 has affected public health for the foreseeable future and changed how the world operates. Today, we need to test for temperatures more frequently, and one of the best ways to do that is through accurate temperature kiosks. Apart from screening for possible illnesses, they also help enforce mask-wearing rules and double as attendance registers. As established in this article, they deliver accurate results in a very short time, making them ideal for offices, facilities, concerts, etc. Don’t put your company at risk.
Get an Accurate Temperature Kiosk Today!