Sneeze guard designs------show me what you got please

[kansasdad]

My dental office had been closed to "routine" dental care for one month. The Governor of Kansas has issued an extension to the stay at home order until May 3rd, which the Kansas Dept Health/Environment is using as guidelines for dentists.

We are trying to prepare for once again seeing patients, but reduce exposure where we can. I have three spots up front where staff interacts with patients such as check in, paying and scheduling their next appointment (That's right, I said it, there is always a NEXT APPOINTMENT! )

Costco was the first retail place where I saw a plexiglass screen placed on a counter. WalMart soon followed. Yesterday I went to the post office and saw that they had a functional yet very ugly 2x4 and furring holding up a sheet of plastic. Their design was without a cutout on the bottom of the screen so that any exchange between customer and postal worker has to take place around the screen, which might encourage a non-thinking customer to slide their head around to the side, totally defeating the purpose of the screen.

I was hoping some enterprising HuntTalkers may have already made some, or have some brilliant ideas for a functional, stylish aerosol screen, or even have seen some for purchase and might give me some ideas. Each one might be differently sized, as the main one will be mounted on a high counter top, and then a second one where the counter is lower leveled for our patients that are in wheelchairs or a "little person". A third one will also be at the high counter height, but perhaps narrower as this interaction spot is like an open window in a hallway.

 

[MO Betta]

You could have one made fairly simply with wood uprights anchored to your countertops, slots ripped into the boards that the plexi will rest in with an open portion on the bottom to allow items to be passed back and forth and your credit card reader to be accessible (think an H shape stretched horizontally with plexi in the upper open portion of the H). Then have the wood overlaid with laminate to match your current counters. Having the bottom portion open will allow clients and employees to hear each other more readily and won't require a call box setup amplifying interactions where sensitive info may be discussed. Just my 2 bits, it's how I would construct a shielded environment for client interactions. Servicing pharmacies/healthcare environments I'm often involved in the construction aspect.

 

[MO Betta]

If you're wanting something temporary I do see hanging sneeze guards that would work well, if you have a drop ceiling you'd hang them from the frames and could adjust the height to accommodate your needs. Something like this: https://www.dgsretail.com/P1705/Han...ore-Checkout-Counter-Acrylic-38-1/2-x-38-1/2H

 

[VAspeedgoat]

The ones we use at our co-op are just plexiglass hung from the ceiling. I think they are nicer looking than the ones with wooden frames. They are hung with a few inches at the bottom clear so you can hand papers back and forth. The ceiling is a drop ceiling type so the bracing is done above the tiles and a thin wire like the ones for pictures are used to hang the plexiglass.

 

[kansasdad]

We thought of suspending from ceiling, but this is Kansas, and the main desk is near the front door, so wind issues were a factor with going with counter mounting the plexiglass.

In the end we went with a custom frame shop (who is a friend and patient) and went with a simple custom screen. We had to have a cutout at the bottom to pass papers and receipts back and forth, as well as leave enough space on the counter top to allow writing of checks or filling out forms.





One huge advantage of these besides the obvious infection implications, is the fact that patients no longer are able to try and peek at the computer screen, which could compromise other patients protected medical information.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Great work, really looks nice