FEVER SCREENING SOLUTIONS - FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What questions are people asking about fever screening?

What questions are people asking about the fever screening process?  We've tried to answer a few here.  If you're unsure on whether you need an Infrared (IR) Forehead Thermometer or a Thermal Solution to Fever Screen your workforce call our friendly team today: 01782 563030

Do I need to check my employees for Elevated Skin Temperature (EST)?

There is currently no legal requirement to check employees for EST however return-to-work procedures will be at the forefront of discussion in businesses around the world and fever screening will likely be on the agenda.  Any testing or screening is entirely voluntary and at the employers discretion. Employers may look towards ‘fever screening’ equipment / solutions as a preventive measure against the spread of viruses such as Covid-19.  

EST has been recognised as one of the common corona virus symptoms. For the NHS corona virus symptoms page click here. 

What is ‘Fever Screening’?

Fever screening is generally considered to be the process of taking a person’s skin temperature before they enter or pass through into a new environment for example, places of work, schools, enclosed public areas, or high traffic areas such as airports. 

Test instruments such as medical Infrared (IR) thermometers and thermal cameras are commonly used to take body temperature without having to make contact with an individual, reducing the chance of any virus transmission. It is important to use test equipment that is specifically designed for the purpose of recording body temperature, or that has a ‘fever detection’ (or similar) mode built in.

Can I use ANY IR thermometer to accurately record skin temperature?

No. Many IR thermometers are not design to accurately record body temperature, as they usually have a degree of accuracy of ± 2°C / 3°C.  They are also designed for taking surface temperature and not body skin temperature.  Remember no device on its own should be used for diagnosis purposes.

Generally, a degree of accuracy of 0.3°C or less is considered suitable for taking skin temperature.  The device must also be designed to take skin temperature as opposed to surface temperature.

How do I decide the best solution for my application?

You can call our friendly team on 01782 563030 so we can look at the best thermal or IR solution for your environment.

Forehead thermometers are extremely affordable; therefore you could purchase several for your business.  Thermal cameras are obviously more expensive but they are faster!  Consider the volume of people and the speed required so your staff members are not forced into close proximity.  

Devices such as the TestMate C-Fit IR Forehead Thermometer is specially designed for taking body temperature and offers high degree of accuracy for under £100.

For medium to larger workforces, hand-held thermal imaging cameras with a fever screening feature may offer the most practical solution.  Hand-held cameras offer fast temperature measurement whilst allowing the user to adhere to social distancing measures.  Also, these cameras are more affordable than fully integrated systems and most can be tripod mounted.

Cameras such as the Hikvision DS-2TP21B-6AVF/W and Hikvision DS-2TP31B-3AUF (with free tripod) both allow the operator to maintain a 2 meter distance whilst screening. The Hikvision DS-2TP21B-6AVF/W can be tripod mounted and connected to a screen for automatic screening. 

For large organisations where many individuals need to be screened automatically and quickly, an integrated solution may be a worthwhile investment. For more information on integrated systems, please call the team on 01782 563030.