Security Locks Create Safety
Well-conceived and designed locking and hinging hardware can save lives in psychiatric facilities. To provide the necessary safety and security for both patients and staff, specifically designed locking products are required. Utmost care must be taken to ensure that a psychiatric patient receives as little negative stimulation as possible and prevent the patient to endanger themselves or others. This obviously has implications for the design of the security locks, handles and hinges. The door of a patient room should therefore not have a cell door look; it should bring peace and quietness and look as homely as possible. But it must also provide high resistance class protection for the care personnel in any crisis situation. In addition, sharp or upright edges, on which a patient could hang or harm himself, should be avoided. Fixations must be strong, because anything that can be detached could be used as a weapon.
Looking Beyond Security Directives
A security lock is just one component within a door system. This is the reason why we why we work closely with partners to develop total concepts. Currently, there is only little uniformity across borders in terms of exact requirements. But by collaborating with various partners and institutions, we are certainly making progress in both the United Kingdom and Belgium. We want to encourage people to look beyond the existing European directives. Although, these instructions need to be respected and followed, we also realize that the needs of the sector exceed these directives and develop our concepts accordingly. This requires time, resources and flexibility, but in the long run everyone will benefit.
Security Lock Requirements
The security and safety requirements for a door in a psychiatric hospital is quite challenging. The door must provide both safety and security for the patient and the caretaker. A fail-safe principle is required, so the door is only locked when power is applied. This allows patients to get out of the room by themselves in case of an emergency. The door must also swing outward to prevent the patient from blocking it. In addition, the door cannot have a handle on the inside of the room to prevent self-mutilation or suicide by the patient. And yet this door must be able to offer the same resistance as a prison cell door. B&B Locks is one of the few companies offering a type of security lock that can meet these security requirements. Together with our partners, we also look at how we can improve and optimize the door concepts according to the desires and needs of the sector.
