To say that the pandemic has thrown life out of gear for all of us would be an understatement. Indeed, Covid-19 has forced us to rethink the way we should live. Public spaces are stressful in a coronavirus-stricken environment, and the way people interact with everyday surroundings is set to change. It becomes imperative that buildings and cities are made safer and healthier places to live, work and commute.

As a pioneer in people flow, and with a holistic approach to health, well-being and safety, KONE has introduced a range of Health and Well-being Solutions that will help recreate safer user journeys and healthy spaces in buildings. The solutions are built on KONE’s deep expertise and knowledge of people flow, which is vital when addressing the challenges of adapting to a new way of life in the face of the current pandemic.

Our Elevator Remote Call feature that uses WhatsApp reduces the need to touch surfaces. As people started returning to work, another real concern related to shared spaces became extremely clear: people are unwilling to touch common surfaces like buttons or handrails in Elevators and Escalators. Elevator Remote Call Feature using WhatsApp is a response to this. It allows users to summon an elevator using social messaging channels like WhatsApp, removing the need to touch possibly contaminated buttons or displays.

KONE is using physical distancing elevator floor stickers and elevator full load limit adjustment to ensure less crowding, thereby contributing to a healthier environment.
Amit Gossain, MD, KONE Elevator India
In these unprecedented times when hygiene and physical distancing are vitally important, KONE’s health and well-being solutions will help regain our confidence in everyday environments, in cities, and with the buildings we move through

Amit Gossain, MD, KONE Elevator India

To further reduce concerns over elevator use, KONE is introducing, to selected markets, the new KONE Elevator Air Purifier. It uses technology – including an advanced photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process developed by NASA for air control on spaceships - to improve air quality in the elevator car by destroying most of the potential pollutants like bacteria, viruses, dust and odour.

KONE Handrail Sanitizer is an escalator handrail cleaning solution that uses a type of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to continuously clean the handrail when the escalator is in use. The solution is installed inside the escalator, so users are not exposed to it. The handrail emerges much cleaner and ready to support passengers when they hold the escalator handrail.

Elevators: Health & Well-Being Solutions

As we all learn to live by the new norms of our cities, neighborhoods and buildings, it’s likely that we will continue to insist on smooth people flow once we do get going again. The transparency and preventive maintenance offered by the cloud based KONE 24/7 Connected Services can help here and keep equipment running and safe.