University of Oklahoma Installs PPE Vending Machines
OU’s campus community will be able to buy PPE from 33 vending machines placed around the school.
Norman, Oklahoma – The University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus will repurpose some of its pre-existing vending machines, as well as install new ones so that students, faculty, staff and visitors can easily obtain personal protective equipment (PPE).
Gilly Vending has installed, for free, five PPE-specific vending machines, reports OU Daily. Additionally, the campus community will be able to buy PPE from 28 pre-existing machines.
The equipment will operate like traditional vending machines. The current price of a PPE kit is $4.66. A KN95 mask costs $7.99, while gloves and alcohol wipes cost $.75, reports OU Daily. Cloth face coverings cost $5.48.
The offering of PPE via vending machines is not costing OU anything and is part of the school’s Clean Green initiative.
Studies have found that the spread of COVID-19 can be slowed when everyone wears face coverings, washes their hands frequently and engages in physical distancing.
At this summer’s Campus Safety Online Summit, many of the campus protection practitioners who participated in the event said their campuses are taking many steps to encourage rather than enforce mask-wearing and social distancing requirements.
Despite the measures, colleges in all 50 states are struggling to contain the coronavirus. There have been more than 40,000 cases of Covid-19 among students, faculty and staff at colleges and universities nationwide, reports CNN.
About the Author
Robin Hattersley-Gray, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
Related Content
Read More Articles Like This… With A FREE Subscription
Campus Safety magazine is another great resource for public safety, security and emergency management professionals. It covers all aspects of campus safety, including access control, video surveillance, mass notification and security staff practices. Whether you work in K-12, higher ed, a hospital or corporation, Campus Safety magazine is here to help you do your job better!
