APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MINIMIZING DIRECT AND INDIRECT CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF PATHOGENS BETWEEN PERSONNEL WITHIN A WORKPLACE

摘要

An apparatus and method of minimizing pathogen cross-contamination and enhancing infection mitigation at a workplace includes placing tags at selected locations, requiring at least some workplace personnel to carry mobile devices, and logging interactions between the mobile devices and tags as tapping events. Tags can be powered or unpowered. Tapping can include RF or Bluetooth communication, and/or indicia scanning. Tapping events can be wirelessly directed to a server by the tags and/or mobile devices. The logged tapping can be used to identify high risk locations, record user movements, monitor user compliance with assigned schedules and locations, and monitor compliance with specified sanitation schedules. During mitigation of an infection event, the logged tapping can be used to identify users at high risk of direct cross-contamination due to proximity to an infected user and/or surface-mitigated cross-contamination due to occupation of a location shortly after occupation thereof by the infected user.