Singapore – A woman conducted a social experiment by raising her temperature to see if she can still enter shopping malls despite the thermal scanner alarm going off.
News and media company Shout uploaded a video on Facebook on Tuesday (May 4) with the caption: “Is it possible to enter a mall with a high temperature?”
“Ever wondered what happens when a person with ‘high temperature’ is detected at a shopping mall? How effective are these thermal sensors, and what are the deterrence protocols?”
“This (temperature scanner) is a familiar sight. These machines are all over malls in Singapore, and it’s become a routine,” the video noted.
“We know these machines are meant to safeguard us. But I’ve always wondered how effective these machines are and what happens when the machine actually detects a high temperature?” asked the woman conducting the social experiment.
She raised her temperature by applying or using heat pads on her forehead. Then she entered different malls to see if she would get detected.
Despite one machine detecting the 37.7 degree Celsius temperature and the voice alarm noting an “abnormal temperature,” the woman was still allowed to enter the mall.
At another entrance, the woman scanned her hand at the machine. “He (the person manning the entrance) didn’t really care, so that was it.”
Meanwhile, another temperature scanner detected 40.8 degrees, and the security personnel at the entrance still let her through.
At one point, the woman was stopped at the entrance because of her high temperature. She was asked to wait at the corner to cool down, and after the third try, she was let into the mall.
During the experiment, it was highlighted that some machines couldn’t tell the difference between a hot object like a cup of coffee and a person with a high temperature.
“Thankfully, there were some machines that actually managed to pass the test and personnel who also knew what the protocols were.”
According to the disclaimer attached in the video, the footage was filmed in the early days of the pandemic. “The events of this video does (sic) not reflect the current efficiency or competence of Singapore’s security systems and frontline personnel.”
With over 140,000 views, the video drew mixed responses from members of the online community, with some showing appreciation for the awareness and others questioning the capabilities of the personnel manning SafeEntry entrances./TISG
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