INNOVATIVE equipment from an Oldham-based company is helping others keep their staff and visitors Covid-secure as soon as they walk through the door – or rather gate.
Fumi-Gate have designed and developed the full body sanitising system to help reduce the risk of infection and keep public places and workspaces safe.
Kitted out with full body sensors, the gate activates when someone walks through, spraying a gentle mist of nano silver which kills viruses, fungi and bacteria, including Covid, but is not harmful to humans.
And it was just the solution UK Electronics were looking for when they decided to increase their health and safety procedures to offer their staff and customers the utmost protection.
Martin Ainsworth, Production Manager, and Neil Carr, Managing Director, worked with their management staff to decide what would work best at their premises on Fitton Street in Royton.
Martin explained: “We have continued operating throughout the pandemic as we manufacture for the medical industry, military and telecommunications companies, which are key sectors.
“Numerous measures have already been put in place to protect our staff and customers, including social distancing, 30 hand sanitiser stations around the site, a lunch roster, and staggered arrival and departure times.
“Oldham Council came in to do a random health and safety inspection and we were commended on the infrastructure we’ve put in place.
“However, when we went into tier 3, we decided to have more machines installed to help make sure we protect our staff, and their families too, and can continue to stay open.
“We wanted a solution for both internal and external so we can be confident the staff are Covid free and we can send them into the factory.
“We looked online at a few options and found Fumi-Gate. It’s a great solution and the best thing we’ve seen out there.
“We also saw they are local and we decided to support a local business, especially as they are a start-up, in these difficult times.”
The Fumi-Gate has been installed at the entrance to the premises so staff – totalling 70 at full capacity – and customers all walk through when arriving.
A Suprema FaceStation is also being installed by timeware (UK) Ltd, based in Rochdale, which clocks staff in using face recognition and also checks their temperature.
“This means staff are protected and they also feel safe when customers visit as they will all walk through the gate and have their temperatures checked too,” explained Martin.
“We have been mainly using Zoom to talk to customers but we want to get them back in for face-to-face meetings and these measures will help enable that with the confidence that everyone is protected.”
The idea for the Fumi-Gate was formed in late February by Grant Whittaker, who took his vision to a manufacturer for design, testing, certification and production.
Managing Director Grant now heads up the local team, based at Chambers Business Centre, and their gates have been installed across the UK as well as in Warsaw Airport and Porsche car showroom in Poland.
Jack Wilcox, Head of Business Development, explained: “The beauty of our gate is that it’s suitable for any kind of business that has a footfall of people, from offices and retail to education establishments, hospitals and care homes.
“There are other products like it on the market but a lot of them are big pieces of apparatus which are not aesthetically pleasing.
“Our design is on wheels so it is easily moveable and it has got a chrome finish to make it more attractive.
“It emits a gentle spray for 2.5 seconds that you can barely feel but the protection lasts for 12 hours.
“It’s a simple piece of apparatus but can make a big difference for all kinds of businesses and venues and gives peace of mind that everyone going through has been sanitised.
“We hope it will help to shape the new normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.”
• Find out more about the Fumi-Gate online: www.fumi-gate.co.uk or call them on 0330 043 0565.
• Find out more about UK Electronics online: www.ukelectronics.co.uk or call them on 0161 626 4117.
You must be logged in to post a comment.