While social distancing continues to be the best tool we have in fighting the spread of coronavirus, many organizations are not able to effectively keep people six feet away from one another simply due to the nature of their business.
This is where sneeze guards come into play.
When coupled with enhanced cleaning practices and personal protective equipment, sneeze guards can help reduce the risk of infection by limiting the spread of germ-filled respiratory droplets that are dispensed into the air when coughing, sneezing, and talking.
As they were preparing for classes to start back, Forsyth Country Day School (FCDS) reached out to us and asked if we could customize a set of sneeze guards to meet the specific needs of their environment.
To get started, Michael Tennyson, our Director of Fabrication, met with the folks at FCDS to tour their campus and get a feel for where they wanted sneeze guards to be placed.
“We looked at a bunch of different locations,” said Michael. “They had a good idea of what they wanted but were looking for some input on how to get it done.”
After talking through different options and taking measurements on-site, Michael created computer drawings for each custom sneeze guard configuration and then got to work cutting them out using our OMAX waterjet.
In total, FCDS ended up needing more than 400 custom sneeze guards. We used clear acrylic ranging from .177” to .220” in thickness and more than 50 4’x8’ sheets of material to cut 1,200+ individual parts (including legs for each barrier).
Our OMAX waterjet continues to be an asset to our fabrication team, especially when it comes to projects like this. Instead of taking 30 minutes to cut one sneeze guard by hand, we were able to produce up to 32 barriers an hour.
This increase in efficiency is passed onto our clients.
“The quicker we can produce something, the lower the cost for the client,” said Michael. “Labor is always the biggest part of the project.”
In addition to a quicker turnaround, our OMAX waterjet also allows us to cut material more precisely. In regard to sneeze guards, greater precision means the legs slide into each barrier exactly how they need to. This not only provides more stability to each sneeze guard, but it also keeps the legs from falling off the barriers anytime the shields are moved.
If you had told us at the beginning of 2020 that a great portion of our production this year would involve providing clients with social distancing floor graphics, custom hand sanitizer stations, and hundreds of sneeze guards, we probably would have looked at you a little funny.
But here we are.
As we enter the fourth quarter of 2020, we remain dedicated to customizing solutions to help our clients navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you need assistance reimagining your event to meet COVID-19 safety guidelines or customized social distancing materials to provide your customers, staff members, or students with a safer experience, we’re here to help.