Free thermometers offered to help check employees

OLYMPIA — The Association of Washington Business has 800 no-contact thermometers to give away to businesses across Washington state.

The devices are intended to be used to check employees for symptoms consistent with the coronavirus.

The thermometers were donated to AWB’s Grassroots Alliance, an association of local chambers of commerce. They are some of the 9,154 no-contact, infrared thermometers given to Washington state by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Around 4,000 have been set aside for businesses across the state, with the Grassroots Alliance tabbed with distributing them largely to manufacturers.

“We have been asked by the Employment Security Department to specifically focus on manufacturers,” said AWB Government Affairs Director Tommy Gantz.

In order for a business to qualify to receive a FEMA thermometer, Gantz said it must be one or more of the following: an “essential business”; a workplace “with a high degree of person-to-person interaction”; open as part of the Phase 1 or Phase 2 “Safe Start” plan; minority owned; or have 50 or fewer employees.

Also, a business must be in one of the following categories: construction, mental health, restaurants, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and grocers or convenience stores.

Applications can be submitted online to AWB at https://bit.ly/Thermometer-for-Manufacturers. For more information, contact Gantz at [email protected].