The Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) recently installed new thermal cameras at selected high-traffic LRT 1 stations as part of heightened health and safety measures against the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
Rail operations at LRT resumed June 1 when lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila was eased under the general community quarantine (GCQ). As part of the new safety measures, passengers are required to be scanned prior to entering the station.
A forward-looking infrared (FLIR) thermal camera with tripod and monitor scans for high temperatures among passengers. Security is notified by an automatic alarm and notification whenever a possible fever is detected. The FLIR thermal scanning system is currently used in hospitals, establishments, schools in Taiwan and at the Taipei Metro.
There will be FLIR thermal scanning systems deployed in six LRT 1 stations. EDSA and Baclaran stations already has the system in place while Monumento (Northbound), Roosevelt, Doroteo Jose and Gil Puyat (Southbound) stations are expected to finish installing the FLIR system in the succeeding week.
For other LRT 1 stations, security personnel continue to use non-contact thermometers for temperature screening. Any passenger with a temperature greater than 37.6˚ C will not be allowed to enter.
“With the acquisition of the new FLIR scanning system and other safety measures, we’re honoring our commitment to invest in technology and continue to set the bar high when it comes to giving our LRT-1 passengers the safety and protection they deserve. We’re also asking those who are not feeling
well and have flu-like symptoms to stay at home and postpone their outside travel,” says LRMC Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) department head Andrea Madrid.
Other safety measures include the use of disinfecting mats and hygiene supplies, daily health checks for all visitors and staff at LRT-1 stations and depot, chemical disinfection of trains and other facilities, as well as using Ultraviolet C (UVC) lamps for sterilization.
LRMC ensures the public that it follows the passenger, sanitation, and safety guidelines laid down by the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).