Why Do Hospitals Need To Reinforce Doors & Windows?
Health care workers put their safety on the line every day to help other people get better. We’re not just talking about exposing themselves to contagious illnesses and workplace accidents.
Unfortunately, violence against health care workers is much more common than you might think. It can be perpetrated by violent or mentally unwell patients, by frustrated visitors, or even by disgruntled former employees.
Having action plans in place is a great first step towards increasing hospital employee and patient safety, but they often fail to provide physical protection in the event of a violent incident.
There is, however, a very effective way hospitals can add more physical security: by reinforcing their glass doors and windows with security glass or glass-like security glazing products.
Riot Glass® Access Denial Hospital Glazing
We recently performed testing in accordance with AAMA 501.8 – standard test method for determination of resistance to human impact of window systems. Intended for use in psychiatric applications, our Riot Glass® AP25 Protection System is now being used throughout the US in facilities concerned about unauthorized ingress and egress.
Our containment-grade and access denial security glazing solutions are ideal for creating protective barriers in key areas within hospitals and other medical or mental health facilities. For example, they can be used to create impact-resistant shields around staff working in reception areas, or to reinforce windows in patient observation areas.
An access denial glazing shield is non ballistic (i.e. doesn’t stop bullets) but it is highly shatter resistant. Therefore, it won’t break if a violent individual lashes out at someone on the other side or if someone is trying to forcibly enter a certain area of the facility.
These types of glazing shields can be over glazed or back glazed (or both) on top of any existing glass door or window to protect the existing glass from shattering dangerously inwards or outwards. They can also be used to create completely new protective barriers, such as on top of a desk in a reception area.
Traditional window glass, and even tempered safety glass, breaks apart incredibly easily. The flying shards of glass can injure patients and staff, or a violent intruder can easily gain access to a restricted area. With containment-grade and access denial glazing shields, the safety of patients and employees is drastically improved.
Riot Glass® Bullet Resistant Glazing
For an even higher level of hospital glass security, we offer a full range of bullet resistant window glazing solutions. Many of these come with a ballistic resistance rating from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which designates the level of ballistic attack they can withstand.
For example, our highest level of ballistic-grade glazing shield has a UL 752 Level 7 rating, meaning that it can resist a high-speed, multi-shot attack from an AK-47 rifle loaded with .308 150-grain military rounds.
Additionally, we offer fully ballistic doors which have a ballistic-grade frame. These can be used to secure certain areas of your facility in the event that an active threat does get inside. That way, staff and patients can take shelter until security personnel or police neutralize the threat.
Nobody wants to imagine an active threat rampaging through a hospital, but the unfortunate reality is that active threat scenarios can happen anywhere. With our bullet resistant door and window glazing solutions, you know you’re getting the highest level of protection for your staff and patients.
A Retrofit Security Upgrade for Hospitals
Riot Glass® is designed to be retrofitted right over your facility’s existing glass, making it a much more cost-effective solution for creating protective barriers compared with replacing the existing glass doors and windows.
We can also mount Riot Glass® on top of any existing flat surfaces, such as countertops, tables, walls, and floors to create safety and security barriers wherever you need them.
Riot Glass® is ideal for hospitals, medical clinic reception areas, mental health facilities, psychiatric wards, and behavioral units.
Anywhere that you want to separate patients, visitors, and staff for everyone’s safety (while still letting employees do their jobs) can benefit from a Riot Glass® retrofit.
What Are the Other Reasons To Choose Riot Glass®?
What makes Riot Glass® such a great solution for hospital security is that it is just as transparent as regular window glass, so it doesn’t block out natural light, inhibit views, or make people feel like they’re in some kind of detention facility.
We design all our products to function just like your existing glass doors and windows, and build them with a slim, modern profile to avoid significantly altering the appearance of the glass and framing systems.
Besides protecting patients and staff from violence, Riot Glass® also acts as a very effective storm damage mitigation barrier. This is especially beneficial for hospitals located in hurricane zones or areas prone to strong windstorms.
A flying piece of storm debris can savagely smash through a normal pane of glass, potentially causing injury, leaving your facility exposed to the elements, and resulting in costly cleanup and repairs.
When you retrofit your medical facility with Riot Glass® security glass and glazing solutions, you’re protecting it against all types of threats — both man-made and from mother nature.
