In behavioral health facilities, it’s critical that staff can gain access to patient rooms during an emergency situation.
In an attempt to prevent staff from entering a room, a patient may barricade the door by wedging items into the edges or hinge, placing heavy items such as furniture up against the door, or by using their own strength.
The presence of an anti-barricade mechanism that can overcome these methods is therefore critical to ensuring patient safety in high risk areas, such as patient bedrooms.
Our Anti-Barricade Door Systems are designed alongside clinical staff and subject matter experts to make sure staff are prepared should such an incident occur; allowing them to open the door away from a barricade and swiftly provide the necessary care to a patient in distress.
Are anti-barricade doors important in behavioral health environments?
If a vulnerable patient successfully barricades a door, such as their bedroom door, they will prevent staff from entering the room. In this situation, staff would be unable to intervene in any attempts to self-harm, and it is therefore imperative that the possibility of this situation is designed-out of the physical environment in behavioral health facilities.
What anti-barricade doors are available?
While an anti-barricade door must be able to open outwards, the capability of opening inwards during normal operation is a crucial factor in contributing to patient recovery journeys, an idea outlined by the UK’s CQC which states that “the use of inward opening, single-leaf doors is considered to be more conducive to a homely, less institutionalized environment”.
Our range of Anti-Barricade Door Systems are double-action by design, meaning that they can open inwards in regular operation as well as outwards in the event of a barricade incident. This inward-opening action helps create a more homely space for the patients during door normal operation, while ensuring the outwards opening capability is there when required.
Overcome barricade incidents in seconds
During emergency situations in behavioral health facilities, it’s imperative for staff to be able to overcome barricade attempts quickly. Our anti-barricade door systems are designed to make this both possible and achievable during emergency incidents, with our SWITCH and SWING Anti-Barricade Door Systems allowing entry during barricading incidents in seconds through user-friendly design.
As Your Partner in Patient Safety, at Kingsway Group we also provide full training on our anti-barricade door systems to any member of staff who will need to operate the doors. Through user-friendly design and staff training, our anti-barricade doors become an integral piece of technology within a clinical team’s risk management plan.
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