The Importance of Pneumatic Tube Systems During COVID

The Coronavirus pandemic has been spreading globally since the beginning of 2020. COVID-19 has made an enormous impact on the healthcare system and economy as a whole, causing many people to be left without jobs and proper finances to afford housing.

Healthcare providers all over the world have been scrambling to treat their patients and they are also aiming to discover a cure. Meanwhile, doctors are relying on their technology for online consultations and patient recovery.

One of the most important pieces of technology in the healthcare sector is the pneumatic tube. Pneumatic tubes can also be used in banking industries and they have made a huge difference during the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington Security Products has been doing their part during the coronavirus pandemic by providing replacement pneumatic tube carriers to hospitals and banks. In this article, we’ll talk about how essential pneumatic tubes are to various businesses.

What are Pneumatic Tubes?

Pneumatic tubes are utilized to transport small, solid materials safely between two separate points. They work by carrying cylindrical carries through different networks of tubes like a vacuum. They were invented by William Murdoch somewhere around 1799 for communication purposes.

The technology is still used today for transportation purposes on a smaller scale. They are also used for scientific purposes. They are capable of transporting medical samples from one point to another. A lot of businesses have come to rely on the use of pneumatic tubes, especially hospitals. Most importantly, speedy and safe delivery has become essential to testing patients for COVID-19.

How Pneumatic Tubes Work

Pneumatic tubes connect two separate points together for sending and receiving solid items. The tubes are usually made out of aluminum or PVC which the canister can move through easily. The canister that transports the item gets pushed along through the tubes by air created by a compressor pump. The compressor works like a vacuum.

The tubes carry the canister quickly and securely through the network of tubes to get where they need to go. Even fragile items can move through pneumatic tubes thanks to the air-cushioning of the tubes. Pneumatic tubes have become a point of dependability for many different businesses as they are quick, reliable, and safe to use, which is essential for the world’s current circumstances.

Who depends on pneumatic tubes?

Many businesses have experienced the heavy impact that COVID-19 has caused. Some businesses have had to shut down or change how they operate their business completely. Speed and convenience have become priorities for businesses that need to stay open. Pneumatic tubes have proven to make many processes a lot safer and easier. As a result, many hospitals, large stores, and drive-up banks depend on pneumatic tubes.

They depend on the reliability of safe item transportation that pneumatic tubes are capable of. Thanks to pneumatic tubes, their businesses are continuing to run and make a difference for their customers or patients who need them most. They are capable of limiting human contact and keeping others from getting sick. As a result, the essential services that these businesses provide can continue.

Hospitals

Hospitals use pneumatic tubes to transport lab samples from one location to another and they have become essential to the process of test patients for COVID-19. They are able to transport blood samples to other lab workers without the need for unsafe human contact. The samples are secured safely within the cylindrical canister and taken where they need to go.

Laboratory personnel are expected to uphold extreme caution in their facilities. This is because the specimens they receive may be infectious. The pneumatic tubes have helped healthcare officials and laboratory workers enact safety precautions. This helps keep everyone in the facility and in public safe, and even helps save lives.

Large stores

Large department stores tend to use pneumatic tubes to transport cash and smaller products. Retail stores and warehouses especially depend on pneumatic tubes for their exceptional level of efficiency. They are capable of transporting cash and coins to other rooms of the story quickly and safely. In this way, pneumatic tubes help keep business flowing by saving money and time, with an extra level of security.

Pneumatic tubes even have the ability to prevent internal and external theft. This is crucial because employee theft and shoplifting is responsible for a lot of profit loss in the retail industry. By having pneumatic tubes for money transport, it’s a great way to safeguard your company’s finances. 

Banks 

Banks are one of the most essential businesses in existence. Even with all of the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, people still need to take care of their banking needs. Pneumatic tubes are one of the many important pieces of technology that allow banks to keep operating smoothly and safely. Customers and bank employees alike are relying on drive-up lanes instead of in-person interactions. Social distancing orders have been put into place to allow people to carry out their transactions without human contact.

Many banks are reinstalling pneumatic tubes at their banks so they can utilize it for drive-thru banking. It used to be a thing of the past, but many businesses have come to rediscover their usefulness. It is crucial for banks to stay open even with the compromised state of the economy. Pneumatic tubes have made an incredible impact on how banks operate with social distancing orders in place.

Conclusion

Pneumatic tubes are used for many purposes. They have proven to be essential during these trying times. Many businesses need them to stay operable and hospitals need them for sending and receiving samples. As long as pneumatic tubes are in use, people can conduct business safely. With the help of pneumatic tubes, social distancing orders can be upheld and healthcare workers can receive samples to test with a lower chance of risk.