Since last Monday, May 4, the national territory entered the initial phase of its de-escalation towards what has been called the 'new normal' in the wake of the pandemic of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Little by little, businesses and services will open their doors to resume their activities and they will do so following strict security and control protocols to prevent this pandemic from spreading to the rest of the world.a disease from getting out of control again. For this reason, there is currently a boom in the use of certain technologies and systems designed both for the identification of possible carriers of the virus and for compliance with the basic rules of social distancing.
One of them lies in surveillance systems based on thermal imaging. Under the name of thermographythermography, this technology uses infrared to capture electromagnetic emissions that are below the wavelength frequency of visible light and above microwaves.
In fact, it does not require light to generate an image and is capable of capturing minute variations in temperature in real time, to transfer them to a screen. This makes these cameras an enormously an enormously useful tool for calculating the temperature of peopleand for identifying those and to identify those who are experiencing experiencing a process of feverishness. feverishness. Thus, the security guards in charge of these systems can more easily manage access to the premises and minimize the potential risk of contagion.
All this means that, in this context, both the sale as well as the installationThe sale and installation of thermographic thermographic cameras are experiencing a great boom in these months. For this reason, the European Association of Professionals for the knowledge and regulation of activities of Citizen Security (AECRA) y the Spanish Business Federation for Security (FES) have drawn up a report with a series of recommendations to be taken into account for their acquisition and subsequent use. Specifically, it highlights these seven points:
- The installation of videosurveillance that are connectedto a to a CRA, to a Video Videosurveillance o a Control Center, as well as the of cameras that are used by cameras that are used by security guards in a service enabled for this purpose, must be be carried out by companies of ssecurity companies duly authorized by the Ministry of the Interior..
- The sensor thermographic sensor which used in these video systems videosurveillance systemswhether or not it is integrated as a detection element, must be approved or certified as a security product if it is to be used in a security if it is going to be used in a service of Private Security by specialised personnel, as is the case for security guards and security operators. This is detailed in Annex I of Order INT 316/2011 in the list of Standards UNE-.EN, applicable for alarm systems.
- The sale, installation and use ofand use of these video systems videosurveillance which include the presence of thermal sensors for temperature measurement are authorized by the Law 5/2014 of 4 April on Private Securityas well as recognised by article 22.7 of the Law 3/2018 of 5 December of Protection of Datos Personal Data and guarantee of digital rights. This also also includes the processing of data by the companies that use them, as well as their private security personnel. Private Securitythrough the aforementioned devices.
- In cases where a user of Private Security contracts, in the private or public sphere, a protection service regulated by the article article 41 of Law 5/2014 of 4 April on Private Security Private Security or a service of video surveillance established by article 42 of the Law of the same legal text, security guards shall be legally authorised to perform their duties in accordance with the law.. These are legally established in article 32 of the aforementioned Law. and include identity control and surveillance, the protection of persons and goods inside the buildings where they provide their services, as well as specific tasks related to these thermal camera systems.s thermal camera systems. Thus, among of these tasks is also the temperature control of people, including bothincluding both employees employees and a thes of people who wish toen access to the facilities.
- The aims of companies and personnelas well as the measures of Private Security installed by the owners of the establishments that contract these services, are established by Article 4 of the article 4 of Law 5/2014 of 4 April on Private Security. Private Security. They are mandatory for companies and security personnel, and during the Coronavirus pandemic Coronavirus pandemic should pay special attention to "meet the legitimate security or information needs of the users of Private Security. Private Securityensuring the indemnity or privacy of the people or property being protected".
- Special care should be taken by companies and security personnel in ensuring ensuring compliance with the Protection of Datos, preserving conscientiously the personal data to which they have access.
- The Private Security is an activity that is subordinated to the Seguridad Ponal Security and forms part of it. ThusThus, both the companies and the personnel of Private Security may use and process personal data when they provide their services to the owner of a property that hires them, since they have a lawful legal interest in the fulfilment of their public interest mission. In order to do so, they must respect the regulations in force in Spain on Protection of Data Protection and applyits principles; and in particular those relating to thermographic devices thermographic devices devices to increase security during the COVID-19 pandemic.