Hospitals are generally huge buildings dealing with the health and life of several individuals simultaneously. Emotions run extremely high throughout the place with loved one’s worried sick about the wellbeing of their family members or closest friends. The intensity of emotions and unprecedented mishaps can act as perfect breeding grounds for agitation and misconduct. Hospitals, thus need to have stringent and able security forces to be able to handle any misconduct that can endanger the life of the patients and professionals. Intruders can also be a huge nuisance to hospitals, putting property and life in danger. These things considered; hospitals invest heavily on security. With this article, S3FM talks about some of the roles and responsibilities of hospital security.
1. Patrolling the premises to check tampering:
Hospitals are filled with several working machines and equipment that are heavily involved in life saving procedures. The safety and efficacy of which is of utmost importance to everyone associated with the hospitals. Hospital security is responsible to constantly patrol the premises to ensure there is absolutely no tampering with the equipment or the premises in general that could cost someone their life or health in any way possible. Any minor tweaks in the equipment can be fatal to the patient the equipment is used on and it is the responsibility of the hospital security to prevent any such mishap.
2. Direct confused patrons to correct destinations:
With the intensity of emotions running through the air at hospitals, and the huge, co9nfusing premises of multi-specialty hospitals, it is very common for people to get lost. Patients who are already in pain or unwell can sometimes find it difficult to maneuver their way to the department they need to be at while the friends and family members of patients can easily get lost along their way due to the extreme anxiety of their loved ones being in pain. Hospital security also acts as liaisons to guide lost patrons towards where they need to be.
3. Oral de-escalation of disagreements:
Hospitals are sensitive spaces. Sensitive towards violence and noise. It is very important to have misconduct and disagreements to be handled before they escalate to physical or verbal violence that could disrupt the peace of the patients around. Hospital security personnel are specifically trained in oral de-escalation techniques to handle such situations calmly without creating a huge ruckus. In case the perpetrators of misconduct are too difficult to handle, the hospital security is trained to isolate them immediately till the situation can be brought under control.
4. Supervision of security systems:
As evident from the aforementioned points, hospitals are extremely sensitive spaces and are required to have proper security systems in place to ensure the safety of property, personnel and patients. The hospital security is also laden with the responsibility of monitoring and supervising the activities across the premises through these security systems and have measures in place for prompt response to emergencies at any location within the premise.
5. Maintaining protocols in emergencies:
Hospitals have several measures in place for different types of predictable mishaps. These are usually coded with colors. Like a lost or kidnapped baby is indicated throughout the premises by code pink, followed by complete lockdown and thorough search of the premise until the baby is found. Several such protocols are in place for armed intruders, seizing patient, agitated family members, etc. Hospital security is responsible to prevent panic and forceful exit during times like these. They are also trained to manage intruders and perpetrators of potential crime or violent attacks.
Mentioned above are just a few of the several responsibilities embodied by hospital security laden with the critical task of preventing external disturbances from affecting the patients who are already in critical or painful situations. Get in touch with S3FM to know more about how hospital security works and what your premise needs in terms of professional security.