Proper building security during Covid is the front line in protecting your business, your employees and your customers from harm. The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how customers and employees interact with your business. Businesses need to be flexible to accommodate changing protocols while staying efficient and keeping their business secure.
Stagger employee shifts to ensure social distancing. Utilize entryways that were previously closed to the public as additional public access points. Now more than ever, you need to screen and track employees and visitors.
When developing new employee and visitor protocols, you should consider the following:
Evaluate Public Access Points
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is likely your business had one or two main entry points that visitors and employees used to access your building. Many buildings also have additional entryways that are usually kept closed and locked. This allowed you to control access to your business and track personnel. However, social distancing protocols suggest taking steps to minimize the flow of people in small entryways.
For public health reasons, you may need to make additional entryways into your building accessible. Allowing employees to enter through back doors or loading areas will keep employees safely distanced. Opening an additional door to visitors may allow them to enter your building without crowding into a doorway.
Update Your Check In Procedures
You may need to update your check-in procedures to ensure that not only is everyone on premise authorized to be there, but also free of any Covid-19 symptoms. A check-in procedures should include the following:
- All employees and visitors should show proof of vaccination or be screened for symptoms before gaining access to the building.
- All employees and visitors must show credentials and verify they are authorized to be in the building at that time.
- Employees should display their ID badge.
- All visitors should be issued a temporary pass that indicates where and for how long they are permitted in the building.
Decide What Information to Collect and How
It is important to keep track of visitors to your building. Tracking visitors allows you to control access to your building, know who is in your buildings at all times in case of an emergency, and better understand who is visiting your business and why. For these reasons, it is important to have visitors to your building check in. With Covid-19 protocols, it is especially important to track visitors movement in case of an outbreak.
For visitors, your sign-in should include the following:
- First and last name.
- Contact Information.
- Business or organization they represent (if applicable).
- The purpose of their visit.
- Name of the employee, host, or contact person they are visiting.
Update Operating Hours
Many businesses have found that expanding their operating hours allows employees to stagger their work schedules and keep business running smoothly. By offering employees the option of earlier mornings, later evenings, or even weekend work, employees are able to safely remain socially distanced without sacrificing productivity.
For employers, this can present new challenges for monitoring staff on site. Implementing a staff ID badge system that can also monitor and manage their access to the building can offer an additional level of security.
Many businesses have implemented a single photo ID card system that allows building access through the Prox feature, as well as for time tracking. Employees can use this single badge to check into the building, and access only the areas in which they are authorized. These secure badges are an inexpensive way to better manage personnel working at nontraditional times.
