Companies in the healthcare sector must implement the necessary protocols and measures to guarantee the safety of their workers and patients, eliminating the risks of accidents associated with their daily activities. Hospital security is a priority issue for the sector and is essential to ensure the proper functioning of this type of institution or company in an environment of maximum protection and comfort.
Companies in the sector invest in automation and hospital security systems to minimize and eliminate potential risks, relying on technology as a tool to achieve this.
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What Is Hospital Security
Hospital security is a concept that defines the condition that guarantees the safety and protection of workers, patients, infrastructure, equipment, and visitors in a hospital or healthcare center. Security in this type of facility aims to minimize the risks to which people and infrastructure are exposed in daily activities, creating a safe environment where medical and healthcare practices can be carried out to treat and improve patients’ health.
In a hospital, there are numerous threats that can create risk situations for patients’ health and physical condition, such as fires, unauthorized access to potentially dangerous areas (X-ray areas, radiation, medication and drug storage, gas tanks, etc.).
Hospital security must have the necessary resources, systems, policies, and tools to address all these risks, thereby increasing the level of protection so that professionals, patients, and visitors can remain safe.
Characteristics of Hospital Security
Hospital security is based on several fundamental characteristics that encompass all the risks related to its activity, both internally and externally.
Security in Relation to Violence
The activity within a hospital, where there is a constant flow of people, creates situations of risk of violence that must be taken into account in order to adopt the necessary measures to prevent them.
For example, it is common for situations of maximum tension to occur in emergency areas, which can lead to violent outbursts when injured people or victims of aggression arrive. The presence of people who have experienced conflicts is common in this type of service, making it necessary to have a good access control and security system to prevent tense or even violent situations from arising in the hospital environment.
It is also necessary to have an appropriate action and response system in place for possible incidents between patients and healthcare staff or visitors, in order to act immediately and reduce the likelihood of such situations occurring.
Patient Safety
The main objective of a hospital is to treat patients, so their safety must be a priority at all times.
Patient safety is one of the pillars within a hospital security system, which includes special policies and mechanisms to guarantee their protection.
Management of Potential Disasters and Emergencies
This characteristic of hospital security refers to the protection of systems, equipment, infrastructure, and people when serious situations or disasters occur, such as fires, floods, power outages, and similar events.
In such situations, the hospital must have the necessary resources to continue its operations in a secure environment for patients and staff, ensuring that the day-to-day activity of the center is not affected.
This aspect of hospital security is extremely important because, in these types of situations, a hospital’s core tasks may be interrupted (surgeries, radiological treatments, tests, etc.).
How to Improve Security in a Hospital
There are many security measures that this type of healthcare center must take to implement a good control and security system. Some of the key points to achieve this are:
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Access control. Hospital access points are one of the critical aspects related to security, so it is necessary to implement a modern and appropriate system to manage all entries, from main access doors to parking areas and common zones, as well as auxiliary entrances for staff or special services.
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Hospital architecture. To adapt services and facilitate staff movement within the hospital. Hospitals can basically have horizontal or vertical architecture and require different systems to guarantee smooth, safe, and efficient traffic for staff, visitors, and patients.
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Occupancy control. In many areas of the hospital there is a high number of people, such as outpatient clinics, emergency departments, laboratory areas, or visiting hours. Proper occupancy control is necessary to minimize the risks associated with large crowds.
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Video surveillance and alert systems. These systems allow total control of everything that happens in the hospital, serving as a fundamental tool to improve the work of the security team, as a deterrent to potential theft or inappropriate behavior, or as judicial evidence in the event of criminal or illegal acts.
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Management of hazardous products. Hospitals handle products and waste that are dangerous to health and must be managed efficiently (by limiting access to them and ensuring good traceability).
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Infrastructure. Hospitals have many pieces of equipment, structures, and materials that are vital to their operation and must be properly protected.
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Data. Healthcare centers manage large volumes of information, most of it related to sensitive patient data. Having a strong information protection and security system is a priority for this type of facility.
We have seen what hospital security is and its main characteristics—an issue of utmost importance for any healthcare center today. Having a good security system and trained security staff, establishing a solid security protocol and communicating it to personnel, and implementing technical elements that automate security (sensors, software, access control systems) are some of the optimal measures to achieve a high level of security and protection in this type of center.
