Clock Safety in Behavioral Health Facilities
Clock safety is a major consideration in behavioral health settings. There are certain requirements in place in order to ensure that all fixtures within a patient room are as safe as possible. In an effort to maintain the structure and rhythm to their daily lives, and to aid in patient orientation, placing a clock in a patient room can be a valuable tool. However, they too pose an inherent hazard if improperly assembled or installed.
An impositive consideration for any Psychiatric or Secure Healthcare environment, even the smallest design elements can have potentially major safety implications. Understanding clock safety and effective measures to implement it can help ensure a safe environment conducive to positive patient health outcomes and management of at risk behaviours.
Why Clock Safety Matters
An increased focus on environmental safety in the behavioral health setting is becoming more apparent. Patients in these facilities may present a wide range of different risks and the basic fixtures that are safe in other settings may not meet their needs.
Many patients have a clock in their room and therefore safe specification is important. Some examples of hazards found on some poorly designed clocks include: Exposed or sharp edges Protrusions or gaps between parts Weaker fixing points than recommended By considering clock safety as part of a broader approach to safety and functionality within a healthcare environment, hazards can be averted and safe and reliable products provided.
For more information on safer clock design, see our ligature resistant clocks guide.
Key Principles of Clock Safety
One way or another, all three of design, materials and installation will have to work together to achieve clock safety.
Minimizing Ligature Points
This feature is associated with the goal of minimizing attachment points. As the name suggests, it is realized in form by smooth, sloped surfaces, and a low profile to eliminate the possibility of attachment points, in order to promote clock safety.
Using Durable Materials
Materials are a critical element of overall safety. A more shock-resistant plastic than glass such as polycarbonate is often used instead of glass.
Secure Installation
Installation must be via tamper resistant fixings. The safest design in the world will still be a hazard if the clock can be easily fitted/removal of fixings allowed.
Appropriate Placement
Another factor to consider when safety and accessibility are a priority is the placement of clocks. Any clocks that are located on walls or doors should be located in a spot where they are easy to read, but where there is not risk of collision with other objects.
Common Risks to Avoid
It’s crucial to identify the potential risks and hazards to improve clock safety. Some key items to be on the lookout for include; Understanding common risks, Avoiding the use of standard clocks that were not originally designed for behavioral health settings, and much more.
- Protruding frames or edges
- Gaps between the clock and wall
- Breakable glass components
- Weak or accessible fixings
The elements which make up materials and products can at times pose risks that can be easily avoided by the judicious choice of products.
Safe Clock Solutions
The facilities are using various specialized products to enhance the overall safety of their behavioral health environment. There are a wide range of products on the market specifically designed to address the unique needs of this type of setting. These products not only consider the safety needs of staff and patients but also take into account durability and ease of use.
Protective systems such as anti ligature clock enclosures provide an additional layer of safety by housing the clock within a secure structure. This helps reduce exposure and prevents tampering.
These solutions provide a valuable retrofit capability, in the event that upgrading existing clocks is considered to be more practical than replacement.
Balancing Safety and Functionality
Although safety is always the first consideration, clocks in healthcare should still function as accurate and reliable timekeeping devices to support patient well-being by providing insight into time, helping to reduce uncertainty, and enabling patients to carry out necessary routines.
Clock legibility, visibility and positioning must be given high priority. All considerations of safety versus convenience should be borne in mind.
Conclusion
Clock safety is an important part of creating a safe behavioral health environment. By considering clock design, clock materials, clock installation and clock placement, a facility can decrease risk to patients, while still benefiting from the safety promoting value of an accurate sense of time.
Clocks can help to promote the health of patients and reduce the risk of clinical errors, whilst at the same time ensuring that the environment in which care is provided is supportive to patients’ mental well-being.