The first lockdown and closure of schools brought on by the coronavirus pandemic fired a “warning shot” for education facilities managers, forcing senior management to re-examine safety standards.
Anyone behind the curve with the benefits of smart technology should get on board now before children return to the school environment and students return to university. With the ever-changing variants of the COVID-19 virus, schools and colleges can’t afford to be “late to class” when it comes to health and safety.
Some schools in the US and many UK schools constructed with BSF funding earlier this century have been using smart technologies for a while to measure utility consumption and efficiency, streamline maintenance and enhance general school safety.
Now, these technologies are playing a significant role in keeping school buildings healthy and preventing the spread of disease.
Social distancing made smarter
Even before the pandemic took hold, schools and universities were looking for ways to make campuses safer and more efficient using smart technology.
The University of Nottingham has been collecting data to understand how the physical space of the campus is used. They can use this data to adjust planning accordingly. For example, they are using a wifi network to monitor the presence of people (as a proxy for footfall) in different areas of the campus. Cameras with facial recognition can provide another layer of data.