Recent years have seen a worrying increase in reports of violence against hospital staff. While this might be partially attributed to better reporting, there is no doubt that hospitals and health clinics need to up their game when it comes to preventative measures.
You might be wondering what are the most efficient ways to improve your hospital security procedures?
Keep reading as we share the most important hospital security advice. You’ll learn how you can make staff, patients, and visitors feel safe in your facilities.
1. Install Video Surveillance
One of the best ways to make hospitals safe is via CCTV. Just the presence of security cameras has been proven to deter crime and violent behavior.
Live monitoring of video cameras allows potential emergencies or violent situations to be prevented and de-escalated early on. Hospital staff will feel at ease knowing a security team is keeping an eye out for dangerous scenarios.
CCTV is also incredibly useful at documenting crimes and identifying suspects should a crime occur.
However, it’s important to be mindful of patient privacy. Make sure all hospital entrances and exits are covered, in addition to public spaces, but no patient rooms or wards.
2. Employ a Team of Security Guards
Next up in our list of essential features is having a hospital security officer on duty at all times. Their presence alone is a significant dissuasion of crime. They are also a reassuring figure for potentially vulnerable patients, staff, and visitors.
Entrances and exits are generally the most important locations for security guards to patrol. They are a necessity for rehabilitation and health clinic security, in addition to hospitals.
Many security firms, including Twin City Security in Alabama, offer security guard services as well as CCTV monitoring, reception duties, and access control.
Make sure you find a company that has experience in providing security for hospitals and health facilities. There are many unique and significant factors that hospital security entails, so professionalism and attention to detail are key.
3. Practice Emergency Drills
One of the other major ways to boost your hospital security improvements is by practicing emergency drills. There is a whole host of potential disasters you can prepare for: armed intruders, hostage situations, kidnapping, fires, data breaches, earthquakes, hurricanes, and more.
By practicing drills, your staff will learn the proper protocols in case disaster strikes. Drills are also a useful way of uncovering areas of weakness and can help guide you to the tangible changes that must be made.
Drills should be practiced several times a year to account for the arrival of new staff. This will also make sure the correct procedures stay fresh for everyone.
That’s How to Level-up Your Hospital Security
Now that we’ve covered the best ways to improve your hospital security, it’s time to take action. Are any of these elements of security protection missing from your current protocols? Can you identify an area of weakness when it comes to unexpected threats?
If you found this article helpful, make sure you explore the rest of our business-related posts!