Page 60 - Security Today, September 2019

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”Employee safety is a challenge that organizations across all industries face,
but it is particularly complicated for hospitals.”
ing in fewer security staff, funding cuts for preventative mental health services, psychiatric patients going to emergency rooms for treatment and legislative changes that affect when law enforcement bring people in custody to the hospital. For example, The Joint Commission found that patients in police custody within a healthcare setting are involved in 29 percent of shootings in emergency departments.
While the statistics are grim, the bright spot for those tasked with addressing security issues is that modern technology can help.
Ensuring Clear Communication Before and During an Incident
Long before an unruly patient lashes out at a doctor or an active shooter enters an open door, the best way hospitals can secure the premise and protect their employees is to have an emer- gency plan for workplace violence.
While most hospitals have done considerable work creating, communicating and exercis- ing emergency plans in response to catastrophic events and terrorist attacks, less has been done to address issues of workplace violence.
For example, 31 percent of healthcare workers surveyed in Rave Mobile Safety’s Work- place Safety and Preparedness Survey weren’t aware of emergency plans for workplace vio- lence. Moreover, the survey found that 32 percent ran workplace violence drills once a year, and 33 percent never ran them, despite 29 percent of emergency managers and other supervi- sors citing workplace violence as one of their biggest safety concerns.
Clearly communicating how to address scenarios is an important start, but hospitals can- not stop there. When an incident does occur, communication plays a major role in limiting its negative impact.
While mass notification systems have long been used to communicate to employees in these scenarios, many hospitals are upgrading to modern systems with more robust capabili- ties. Security personnel and other administrators can send emergency notifications through text, email, voice, desktop alerts and digital signage simultaneously and in the method that best fits the emergency.
These notifications can also be segmented and tailored to ensure only the right people receive the relevant information, limiting alert fatigue. The most innovative systems take these benefits a step further by creating a two-way communication channel.
For example, in an emergency, an automated poll could be sent through SMS text, email and voice to determine where workers are located and if they are safe. As a preventative tool, select systems also allow security staff and nurses, for example, to discuss a situation and share information before an act occurs.
Empowering Employees with Personal Security Tools
While hospital leaders have a duty to secure the work environment and keep staff safe, employees can also take an active role in ensuring their own and their colleagues’ safety. Employee safety apps literally put the ability to address safety issues into the hands of hospital employees.
These apps often include an emergency call button that can quickly and directly connect an employee to hospital security staff when an incident occurs. For other urgent situations, employees can use the apps to discreetly submit two-way tips anonymously, such as witness- ing a sexual harassment incident.
Beyond their use as a response to incidents, employee safety apps can also be used for prevention. For example, a nurse walking to a remote parking lot after a late shift could use an employee safety app to keep in contact with hospital security through a virtual escort.
With the right mix of technology, the risk and impact of workplace violence in hospitals can be mitigated on their grounds and in whatever settings their employees deliver care. This is critical in ensuring the safety and security of staff never impedes their primary mission of delivering care and saving lives.
Noah Reiter is vice president of customer success at Rave Mobile Safety.
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