I've seen a lot of reporting on establishments adding cashier-protecting sneeze guards to checkout lines--but no scientific evidence that they help. The explanatory language is vague: The guards provide "extra reassurance," one retail executive told Reuters, while another told USA Today that they provide "peace of mind."
But if there's no evidence they help, they certainly can't hurt. And I suppose companies want to be seen as doing everything they can to protect people from COVID-19.
With no standardized form factor, there is a fair bit of design variety in these sneeze guards, which range from off-the-shelf solutions to custom made by companies, to let's-let-the-maintenance-guy-figure-something-out. If you've not ventured outside of your house recently, here's what they look like, and you'll note that the complexity of fabrication/installation varies:
Image source: Marc Jones
Image source: Mims
Image source: Nisa Okehampton
Image source: Village of Richfield
Image source: The Global Display Solution
Image source: iSupply
The iSupply ones are my favorite, if I may have a favorite thing that may or may not provide effective protection. But like I said they can't hurt, and peace of mind is probably something people are craving these days.
Image source: iSupply
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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From DIY to Off-the-Shelf to Custom-Made: The Rise of the Sneeze Guard
My family's workplace has been making these sneeze guards in Australia.
Then they use these joiners to hold them together.
Their main business is signs, so they had the machines and it's been a great help to the business in the pandemic as other parts of the business lost traction.
There's a bunch of photos here of some their products.
https://signsplus.com.au/engrave/sneeze-guards/
They even created custom heavy duty brackets, so they can be attached easier to benchtops.
Love reading about all the new innovations and the way businesses have pivoted to adjust in the world with Covid-19.
These can be made in unlimited shapes and styles. See: https://www.professionalplastics.com/Sneeze-Guards or