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Amazon Uses Thermal Cameras to Scan for Fevers at Warehouses
Amazon.com Inc. has started using thermal cameras at its warehouses. This is part of the company's effort to help speed up screening for workers likely infected with the coronavirus. These cameras measure how much heat people emit in relation to their surroundings.
Fox Business reported cases of the coronavirus among staff members in 50 U.S. warehouses. “That has prompted some workers to worry for their safety and walk off the job,” the report said. “Unions and elected officials have called on Amazon to close buildings down,” it then added.
“We implemented daily temperature checks in our operations locations as an additional preventative measure to support the health and safety of our employees who continue to provide a critical service in our communities,” said Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish in a statement to The Verge. “We are now implementing the use of thermal cameras for temperature screening to create a more streamlined experience at some of our sites,” Kish also went on to say.
Amazon: Service Amid a Global Pandemic
Amazon using thermal cameras at some warehouses to scan workers for fevers https://t.co/uPIbGHAL4D pic.twitter.com/9QhGnUfeQO
— The Verge (@verge) April 18, 2020
This measure is incredibly important as U.S. states have given Amazon the go signal to deliver goods.
“As people shelter at home, demand for delivery of food and household goods has exploded. Amazon already has hired the 100,000 workers it announced it would be adding to deal with the surge in orders,” reported The Verge.
Amazon already set up the hardware for the thermal cameras in at least six warehouses outside Los Angeles and Seattle. This is according to their employees and other social media posts. These cameras will also replace thermometers at worker entrances to a lot of Amazon’s Whole Foods stores.
The company then performs a forehead thermometer check on those flagged by the cameras. “An international standard requires the extra check, though one camera-system maker said the infrared scan is more accurate than a thermometer,” said Fox Business.
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