The lockdown implemented to slow the progress of COVID-19 had many effects, one of which was to close office premises. As the South African economy begins to re-open, there are certain regulatory requirements businesses need to adhere to, with a major one being daily screening of employees in a contactless fashion. This is a significant undertaking for most businesses and one that Kenai is making fast, simple and affordable for businesses of all sizes.
What exactly are businesses required to do upon re-opening? Although various regulations are being put in place for different businesses, they include clear, consistent requirements for all businesses which can be broken down into four categories:
1. Pre-screening before employees arrive at work each day.
2. On-site screening of employees.
3. Automated notifications based on answers to screening questions and temperature readings.
4. Auditable record keeping of all screening (per employee).
Kenai currently manages the visitor process for many companies, including visitor pre-registration, on-site sign-in, automatic notifications and auditing functions. This puts Kenai in a good position to port the solution over to employees and adapt it for the requirements of COVID-19. The company has done that, managing on-site and off-site screening in a single affordable solution using the Kenai architecture.
Leveraging the work done from the visitor product, Kenai has rolled out the employee screening solution rapidly and avoids locking customers into a long contract when the product will likely only be needed for a limited time.
How does the product work? For starters, employees answer their daily screening questions through a web link on their phones/laptops. Their answers are stored securely on a web dashboard that meets data privacy requirements. For employees who don’t have access to a smartphone, they can complete the screening via USSD on their phones.
When employees arrive on site, they usually need to have their temperatures checked using a handheld device. The difficulty at this step is linking the employee from their questionnaire to the temperature reading and automatically uploading the reading to their profile (for audit purposes). Kenai achieves this through various methods, including facial recognition, QR code reading, driver's licence scan or a manual employee number entry. This process is designed to be fast and touchless, with the temperature reading input being by someone other than the employee. Facial recognition and QR/driver’s licence scanning are all very fast, touchless processes – they are the recommended identifiers.
Once the employee has been identified, the third party takes the temperature reading, inputs it in the scanning device and confirms the employee is wearing their PPE or mask (if applicable). The Kenai scanner will then display (based on the pre-screening questions and on-site readings), whether the employee can proceed into the office or not. Notifications are also automatically sent to relevant staff members if certain responses are recorded. The entire process takes between 10 and 20 seconds on-site, is non-intrusive and contactless.
Importantly, all employee profiles are updated on the dashboard in real time. Not only can company administrators download monthly reports, they can be sent daily notifications on certain answers being captured, or certain employees not completing their pre-screening before a certain time. The flexibility of the system means that companies can design their own COVID-19 procedures using the tools that Kenai provides.
COVID-19 has created significant disruption. When companies start opening up, they’ll need a robust, fast and reputable system to screen employees each day. This is important for keeping employees and the public safe while the opening up takes place. This functionality can also be made available for visitors where visitors are permitted.
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