Responding to life-safety needs in behavioral healthcare

Rapid technological growth in the field of ligature-resistant locking to better secure patients who are at high risk of harming themselves or the staff members caring for them presents a critical range of options and decisions for product decision makers and specifiers in Behavioral Healthcare. In this article, the author, a leader in the electronic locking industry, reviews the factors to be aware of in selecting such systems for psychiatric patients including security, liability, and privacy; the quality and performance of each product; and the means of egress requirements or ease of operation for both patients and staff in different situations, including entering a room quickly or exiting a room in the event of the need for emergency evacuation.