INDUSTRY COMMENT
In the absence of a vaccination it looks as if we will be living with COVID 19 for months and perhaps years to come. That means limiting the
number of people entering shops and public spaces to enable social distancing to be maintained. Metering, controls and automation specialist Carlo Gavazzi UK manufacture a system that can be used to automatically count and control the number of people entering and exiting a space as Kevin Sheldrake, Business Development Manager at Carlo Gavazzi UK explains....
work. While the numbers of those infected in the UK is starting to decline, in the absence of a vaccination it is looking increasingly likely that we will have to adapt to live with coronavirus for months and perhaps even years to come. Adaptation is accepting that social distancing is the new normal and that the numbers of people entering shops, offices and public spaces will continue to have to be controlled to minimise the risk of overcrowding. One method of control is for businesses to accept the additional costs of assigning personnel to stand at entrances and, perhaps, the exits too of a shop or public space in order to count people in and out. It is a solution that not only puts the operatives at risk of coming into contact with large numbers of people but it also introduces the possibility of human error. There is a better way: controls and sensor manufacturer Carlo Gavazzi manufactures a system
C People Counting
OVID-19 has already had a huge impact on the way we live our lives and on the way that we
that can automatically count and control the number of people entering and exiting a space to ensure social distancing is maintained.
The government's guidance on managing COVID-19 in shops and workplaces includes the following recommendations for shops: • Define the maximum number of customers allowed in a store if the 2m social distancing is to be maintained and take action to limit the number of customers to this number
• Look at how people walk through the shop and introduce measures to reduce congestion and contact between customers
• Manage queues, including those outside the shop, with the introduction of queuing systems
Carlo Gavazzi's people counting system can help retailers and businesses comply with the recommendations. It is based on the same Dupline® two wire-bus as Carlo Gavazzi's building
automation system which enables a unified approach to controls and the easy integration of the system into the building management system (BMS) via the unit's BACnet gateway.
Entry and exit points can be monitored in two different ways: • For a single entry/exit two photoelectric sensors are positioned side-by-side horizontally. Based on which sensor is triggered first, the system can detect a persons direction of travel and increase or decrease the total people count accordingly.
• For applications with a separate entrance and exit, one sensor is installed at the entrance and one at the exit. When the entrance sensor is activated the counter adds one to the total and subtracts one from the total when the exit sensor is triggered. A pulse counter provides input to the bus generator from the sensors By connecting the BACnet gateway to Carlo Gavazzi's Universal Web Platform (UWP) building operators will be able to remotely monitor occupancy in real time to help ensure a facility is complying with social distancing guidelines. The unit will also enable managers to remotely adjust the predetermined threshold for the maximum number of people that can occupy a certain space should any of the parameters change. The system can control entry to a space using a simple traffic light system. This can take the form of a simple stop/go display to inform customers whether they should enter, or whether they should wait because maximum occupancy has been reached. When a customer exits the space the screen will
update. In the event of a customer disregarding the traffic light, an alert is sent to the staff. In addition to counting the people entering and leaving a premises, the system can be used to monitor the number of people entering a shared space within a building, such as a canteen or conference room, or to control the number of people that can access the floors of a building, again to ensure social distancing is maintained.
This simple, robust system is easily scaled up for larger buildings in order to accommodate multiple entry/exit points. It can also incorporate dynamic route guidance and digital signage to help people navigate around congested areas. The system can even be integrated with third party systems, such as lighting, so that the lights can be turned off when the system knows a space is unoccupied. And, because the system knows when a space has been used, it can automatically trigger a cleaning reminder. Carlo Gavazzi can, as an option, even include body temperature monitoring sensors to help prohibit access for those showing signs of a fever to help further control the spread of coronavirus.
For more information about how Carlo Gavazzi's people counting system can help your business to maintain social distancing call 01276 854110.
www.carlogavazzi.co.uk
BSEE
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BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2020 7
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