Consultants specializing in the design of Behavioral Healthcare and Detention facilities know that the design of a facility with its fixed and moveable components can have a significant positive impact on performance, especially on the health and safety of employees, patients, and families. This is especially true in Behavior Health situations
In detention facilities, according to national correctional standards, inmates on suicide watch are now required to be housed in “suicide-resistant” cells in which hazards have been removed and furniture and fixtures have been adapted for enhanced safety and security. Facilities are now required to provide tamper-proof hardware such as light fixtures, door handles, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads, and ceiling/wall air vents that are protrusion-free. Fiberglass-molded bunks in these cells have rounded edges and no tie-off points. Clothing hooks are now collapsible and towel racks, sinks, radiator vents have been modified to reduce their use as anchoring devices for hanging. Corded telephones, an obvious suicide hazard, have been replaced with cordless telephones in many jurisdictions. Now, we can add access control readers to the list.
Ligature Resistant Access Control Reader
Recently Essex Electronics collaborated with HID to design iROX and iROX Plus, a heavy duty smart card reader using genuine HID technology. The iROX readers are stainless steel vandal resistant with an ultra low-profile reader protruding only ⅛ of an inch (0.3 cm). This slim profile is perfect for the ligature resistant requirements of these highly sensitive environments.
