Thermal image in use at the entrance to a hospital in Spain. According to Amazon, thermal cameras are currently used in some locations to protect employees through fever tests.
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Amazon is now using thermal imaging cameras to perform temperature checks at some of its facilities. This is another step the company has taken to increase the protection of workers during their operations the COVID-19 pandemicafter criticizing that it hasn’t done enough.
The e-commerce giant initially started with checks In late March, a blog post said at the time that Workers above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit would be sent home and “come back to work only after three days without a fever.” The temperature limit was taken from the guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Amazon said.
On Saturday, a spokesman said the new camera-based reviews should simplify the process.
An Amazon employee was examined for fever using a contactless thermometer last month. The company says it relies on thermal imagers to streamline the process.
Amazon
“We performed daily temperature checks at our operations as an additional preventative measure to support the health and safety of our employees,” said Kristen Kish in a statement. “We are now implementing the use of thermal imaging cameras for temperature testing to provide a more optimized experience at some of our locations.”
Amazon’s operations network includes its warehouses and delivery centers, as well as Whole Foods grocery stores. Kish has not specified the websites on which the cameras are used.
The temperature tests are part of a series of worker protection measures that Amazon has introduced amid criticism of coping with the coronavirus crisis. Several Amazon and Whole Foods employees who were afraid and frustrated to face the crisis had previously done so organized strikes to demand better protection. And organized work that Amazon workers do not represent in the United States, as well as interest groups and many Politician joined the move to get Amazon to do more for its employees.
A number of Amazon warehouse workers tested positive for the corona virusThese infections occur when consumers rely more on the internet retailer for their basic needs.
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“With over 1,000 locations around the world and so many measures and precautions that were quickly implemented … There may be cases where we don’t do it perfectlyBut I can assure you that this is exactly what it will be – exceptions, “said Dave Clark, director of global business at Amazon, in the March blog post that announced temperature testing and various other measures.
CNET’s Ben Fox Rubin and Steven Musil contributed to this report.