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Assessing & Securing the Hospital Environment
More than ever, balance is key.The Latest from SIW
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Security departments in all types of facilities have to negotiate a tricky balance between appropriate levels of security and appropriate levels of accessibility. But for hospitals, this balancing act is particularly critical. The primary stakeholders in this environment—staff, patients and visitors—have divergent perceptions of appropriate security.
Hospital visitors want unrestricted access to their loved ones, and patients want their friends and family to arrive unhindered. Patients often are in pain and uncomfortable, which translates into stress and anxiety for their visitors. The last thing a family member wants or needs is to come face-to-face with a security program that makes visitation inconvenient or adversarial.
Conversely, hospital security satisfaction surveys show that the number-one concern of staff is the under-restricted access that visitors—both authorized and unauthorized—have to the hospital.
To address these diametrically opposed concerns, hospital directors of security must develop a program that protects all people and assets while interacting with a culture that expects unencumbered access. And by the way, it should be cost effective at the same time.
Review Codes and Guidelines
The security industry, unlike other disciplines, has no statutory requirements. The appropriate level of security for a healthcare institution is generally determined by industry best practices. Hospital security directors must determine the level of their program by reviewing available security literature and industry-specific codes or statutory requirements for other disciplines. Consider the following:
• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations' (JCAHO) Environment of Care Manual
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations
• Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Section 101
• NFPA Section 99 for Healthcare Facilities
• NFPA Section 730 Guide for Premises Security (new). Section 730 covers the security vulnerability assessment, designing a security plan, interior protection, exterior protection, security guards, special events, and security measures for occupancies
