Modern Building Services

20 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES MAY 2021 FEATURE SMART BUILDINGS SMART BUILDINGS J ames Allardyce, Director of Solution Sales at Chubb explains how building owners can develop safer, healthier and smarter building strategies, providing insight into just some of the solutions that can empower them to self- diagnose and identify potential shortcomings and to implement the most appropriate technologies to help mitigate risks both now and in the future. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the safety and security of commercial buildings Prior to Covid-19 employee proximity was often seen as a positive. Many offices encouraged open plan layouts with dedicated shared spaces and break out rooms to support collaborative working and idea sharing. In 2020 this thinking sadly had to change; new guidelines for safe working practices, gaps and pitfalls in many current setups became paramount. People are inherently helpful to one another, especially when it comes to their co-workers. For example, prior to Covid-19 if you arrived at your office and discovered you had left your access pass at home, a friendly coworker might open the door for you and let you in. However, to adhere to regulatory compliance policy, building owners are required to understand exactly who is in the building, why they are there and for how long. Employee confidence has never been of such importance as it is now. Not only do employees need to feel secure in their place of work, they also need to feel reassured that their health is protected. Key Challenges post Covid-19 Covid-19 required a complete overhaul of working practices, encouraging employees from numerous industries to leave their offices and work from home. The biggest challenge facing building owners currently is winning over the hearts and minds of these individuals as they return to the workplace. The environment employees return to not only has to support their physical wellbeing but also their mental wellbeing. This is a change in thinking and therefore presents a significant challenge. Physical interaction in, and with, buildings is natural, but when you think about simple tasks such as opening doors, pressing lift buttons, touching desks, operating coffee machines etc. at a mass scale, it becomes more problematic. Building owners have to consider flexible working conditions such as agile and remote working. In the short term, software including Microsoft Teams and Zoom has been a lifeline, allowing socially distanced face-to-face interaction. But these technologies can never fully replace face-to-face contact with colleagues and clients. It serves a purpose, but long-term solutions are required. How did buildings adapt? The reaction was very quick at a time when no one really knew what was coming next, and the goal posts were moving fast. We worked with businesses to install two initial reactionary measures. The first was body temperature measuring at building entry points using thermal cameras. Our non- invasive, contactless or hand-held thermal camera solutions were ideal for deployment at controlled entrances to areas and facilities where initial skin temperature scanning is needed for staff and visitors. The second was occupancy control. Our cloud-based, smart live occupancy solution offers unmanned control over occupancy levels. For many businesses, the James Allardyce , Director of Solution Sales at Chubb Fire & Security says “never has the health and safety of our buildings been more in focus than throughout the Covid-19 pandemic”. Businesses have faced unprecedented challenges when looking to manage the health and security of customers and employees. The technology empowering a new class of healthier, smarter buildings Never has the health and safety of our buildings been more in focus than throughout the Covid-19 pandemic James Allardyce