WATER


Getting workplace hydration


solutions right Demand grows for contactless dispensing


As office workers return albeit at a different rhythm than before the pandemic and with an amended balance between home and office working, on site water provision remains essential and there is a new emphasis on contactless dispensing. Gemma Tuxford, UK business development


Health issues and an interest in well-being have perhaps never before been so much at the front of people’s minds as they go back to the office (BTO) – or accept the new hybrid of work from home (WFH) plus office. As the Office for National Statistics annual consumer basket


published last month showed, the trend towards health and leisure spending has increased. People are conscious not only of the need for hand sanitisers and exercise bikes but also for healthy hydration, especially that healthiest form of all: water. Add to this the need for convenience and the provision of


water in the workplace wherever that workplace is. Coolers and other forms of water dispenser are a must for many employers who are keen to retain staff by showing that they care whilst at the same time showing determination to cut plastic waste with sustainable solutions. A growing number of companies assist staff WFH by offering


home water dispensers. After all, home is the new office. The Water Dispenser & Hydration Association (the WHA), formed just prior to lock-down in 2020, is playing an important part in helping deliver hygienic hydration solutions in the workplace. The WHA offers three key benefits to offer those procuring


water systems bringing guarantees of the highest quality in terms of both goods and services supplied by members often over and above regulatory requirements. • The Find a Member service helps those managing buildings to locate companies that can assess and meet their particular needs.


• Ensures best practice by training staff at every level in the supply chain so that coolers are installed and sanitised optimally and safely.


• Ensures continuing quality that comes from members being annually audited.


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manager of Zerica, the award-winning manufacturer specialising in contactless dispensing and IOT solutions, said: “Workers now want fast, hygienic dispensing with the focus shifted from smaller volume single use plastic cups to larger volume refill bottles.” Contactless dispensing solutions are very


much on the increase. The more simplistic examples are foot pedal operated, which can often be easily achieved by retrofitting pedals to an existing machine. Substituting standard buttons for touch-free ‘hover’ buttons is also relatively straightforward on some models. More complicated solutions use NFC technology where NFC tags


devices such as keyrings, cards, embedded in bottle tops, can be used for dispensing and payment. Basic information such as usage data and personal preferences are collected and payment deducted form a wallet facility. The most sophisticated machines use an individual’s mobile


phone to connect directly to the machine via Bluetooth with payments also authorised and managed via mobile phone. IoT-enabled machines can be managed from any location and


information accessed directly onscreen, via laptop or mobile phone. You can change target temperature or portion sizes and receive alerts based on real-time usage for filter and CO2 canister replacement. You also get reminders when a flush or periodic maintenance is due with the ability to run a diagnostic and perform a quick servicing check at any time. Technicians connect remotely to carry out non-intrusive, speedy and ecologically-friendly technical interventions.


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