Amazon uses thermal cameras at warehouses
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The online retailer known for speedy deliveries is trying to speed up screening. Reuters has learned that Amazon.com has begun using thermal cameras at its warehouses to screen for feverish workers who could be infected with the coronavirus.
Employees and social media posts indicate Amazon set up hardware for the thermal cameras in at least six warehouses outside Los Angeles and Seattle. Amazon confirmed that some warehouses have installed the systems to streamline checks.
The cameras, which are widely used at airports in Asia in the aftermath of the SARS epidemic, measure how much heat people give off relative to their surroundings. Workers say they require less time and contact than the forehead thermometers Amazon has been using.
The use of these cameras shows how Amazon is exploring ways to contain the virus' spread without shutting down warehouses. It comes at a time when some Amazon workers have walked off the job, fearing for their safety. Cases of the virus among staff have been reported at more than 50 of Amazon's warehouses in the United States.
Tyson and Intel are among other companies exploring use of thermal cameras, which can cost up to $20,000.
