What is Covid Temperature Check?
Covid temperature check is the process of using a thermal scanner gun to record the temperatures of persons entering a facility. In an effort to prevent COVID-19 infection within the facility, businesses primarily use covid temperature checks to identify and separate possibly infectious employees from those not infected.
How It Can Stop the Spread
Though fever is cited as one of the earliest symptoms of COVID-19, not all who are infected will exhibit this symptom. Therefore, businesses should not use covid temperature checks as the only method of detection. Regular monitoring of all other COVID-19 symptoms, together with covid temperature checks, is just one part of effective workplace infection control.
Employees exhibiting any known symptom of COVID-19, even if they don’t have a fever, should have their temperatures checked throughout the day and should be asked to note the severity of the symptom as the day progresses.
Different Implementation Methods
The traditional method for implementing covid temperature check is to use pen and paper. Though a majority of people are used to paper-based processes, using the traditional method can significantly hinder data collection and analysis later on.
Another downside to using pen and paper is that it’s difficult to quickly search for employee names. This often results in the one conducting the covid temperature check having to flip through countless pages before spotting the employee’s name.
A more efficient method of implementing covid temperature check is to use a mobile app. Unlike the traditional, paper-based process, this new method allows businesses to easily compile and organize employee temperature logs. A mobile app also makes using a covid temperature check template much easier, since the template can be downloaded directly into the app and used right away.
Using a Temperature Check Template
A covid temperature check template is a mobile-friendly and dynamic tool for temperature log recordkeeping. It usually contains the following elements:
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- Employee name or company ID number
- Employee’s temperature
- Date & Time temperature was taken
Additionally, covid temperature check templates can be customized to include common COVID-19 symptoms and other relevant health data.
Using the Data Collected
Aside from using a mobile app and digital template to facilitate faster staff temperature screening, businesses have the opportunity to be proactive in appropriately using the data they’ve collected to drive highly effective actions for improving their workplace infection control. Below are the 3 steps businesses must take after implementing covid temperature check:
1. Safeguard employee health data
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of the UK, businesses handling employee health data for the purposes of identifying COVID-19 symptoms need to comply with both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Key measures also include limiting the number of people who have access to the data and conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).
To ensure that you are processing employee health data correctly, use the special category data checklist provided by the ICO.
2. Use data to gain a better understanding of current COVID-19 infection control procedures
Though a lack of high temperature readings does not necessarily indicate that COVID-19 infection control procedures are effective, data collected from covid temperature checks can still be used to strengthen current infection prevention practices and protocols.
For example, an increase in the number of staff with high temperature readings (or fevers) may suggest that current COVID-19 infection control procedures are ineffective or need to be improved. Questions to ask once data has indicated this include:
- Do surfaces need to be disinfected more often? Or, are there areas within the workplace (such as a lunch room, pantry, or shared eating or meeting space) that need special attention?
- How strict is management when it comes to handwashing guidelines? Are employees washing their hands regularly? Is there a lack of available soap and water? Are employees using hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol?
- Is social distancing being followed in the workplace? Is there a need to set up protective barriers or partitions so that staff maintain a safe distance from one another and customers?
3. Adjust infection control procedures as necessary
The final step businesses must take after implementing covid temperature check is to follow-up on actions they’ve identified as necessary to improve workplace infection control. Scotsman Hospitality, Scotland’s largest hospitality group, was able to protect their staff and guests during the pandemic by setting up and maintaining systems for social distancing and covid cleaning. Scotsman Hospitality is just one example of how using data collected from various checks can bolster a business’s compliance and operations.
SafetyCulture Content Team