Covid safety is still a concern for all of us, especially protein processors whose workers only recently got vaccine access. Over the past year, many food processing plants saw outbreaks of Covid, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge processors to take protective steps. In February, the labor department released updated worker safety guidance to help employers safeguard their staffs and operations by:

• Creating physical barriers where a distance of 6 feet between workers isn’t possible.

• Improving ventilation to prevent the spread of virus particles through facilities.

• Requiring workers to wear masks and other applicable PPE.

All of these steps can reduce the spread of Covid, but they can be costly. Low-cost, water-resistant remote monitoring equipment like motion detectors, temperature monitors, and door and window sensors can support these safety improvements while meeting poultry and meat processing plants’ needs for durable, space-saving, equipment that can withstand harsh conditions and frequent washdowns.

Water-resistant temperature monitoring for product safety

It can be a challenge to increase ventilation inside a processing plant while maintaining an appropriate ambient temperature range in areas where meat or poultry are being handled, especially when space is at a premium. Our Wireless Water Resistant Temperature Sensor (3-102) is designed to work in wet areas, takes up only about as much space as a matchbox, and monitors temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C.

Placing these sensors in key areas of the plant can show a clear picture of temperatures in each area and temperature differences between parts of the plant, to help monitor airflow and temperature gradients.

Remote real-time access and activity monitoring for security

Opening windows and doors is a low-cost way to ventilate nonprocessing areas like administrative offices and employee locker rooms, to prevent the buildup of airborne virus particles. But bringing in fresh air this way can increase the risk of unauthorized entry and theft.

To get the benefits of fresh air flow without compromising plant security, our Wireless Door Sensors can be quickly installed on doors as well as windows and even individual cabinets where high-value or sensitive items are stored. With real-time alerts when there’s an opening or closure, your plant’s supervisors and security can remotely monitor what’s happening at every entrance and exit.

Remote motion sensors can also help your team detect unauthorized activity in restricted or socially distanced areas of the plant. Our Wireless Activity Sensor can be set to send alerts when there’s sudden movement or vibration nearby. This can help prevent crowding in locker rooms, hallways, entrances and exits.

Remote video monitoring for additional safety and distancing support

By grouping your remote door and window sensors and remote activity sensors with remote video monitoring of those areas, your security team can quickly evaluate and prioritize alerts without leaving their monitoring station.

Remote video monitoring can also help your team ensure that employees are wearing masks and any other PPE that’s required and that they’re maintaining the appropriate physical distance where possible.

A durable, water-resistant gateway for your factory’s remote monitoring network

All the remote monitors and cameras in your factory can easily, securely connect to a gateway that collects their data in real-time and stores it in the cloud. From there, employees with access can see current temperatures and activity in the Cloud Console. They can also review historical data to create charts and reports that can be useful for compliance and for making safety improvements.

Because the gateway is the key to collecting sensor data, it needs to be durable. The frequent washdowns that poultry processing and meat processing plants require can be hard on most off-the-shelf internet-connected equipment. Our SG3-1010 Gateway is available in a water-resistant NEMA enclosure that provides IP65- or IP67-rated protection and allows for easy mounting of the gateway on a wall, pipe or pole.

Setting up a low-cost, secure remote monitoring network in a poultry or meat processing facility takes minutes and can protect your factory for years, not only from the spread of Covid but also from unauthorized access, temperature maintenance issues and other hazards. To learn more about customizing a safety monitoring package for your processing plant, contact us today.