cee cee- IAHSS ADVANCED
What do most security professionals agree that a primary function of the security
department in a healthcare setting should be?
Crime prevention.
Inherent Susceptibility:
A healthcare setting is a prime target for crime, because of how the business of
healthcare works.
Open access:
Healthcare institutions traditionally provide an open access environment. This
arrangement accommodates the huge numbers of people who come onto the property
on a daily basis. Once in a healthcare facility, someone can easily pose as a visitor or
contractor and go through many areas without being questioned.
Presence of Valuable Item:
A healthcare facility is susceptible to crime due to the wide variety of portable,
marketable items used and stored there. More than 3000 items purchased by hospitals
are usable in the home.
Distracted Patients and Staff:
Criminals know that patients and family members often are less aware of their
surroundings due to the medical and emotional issues with which they are dealing.
Criminals also see that the fast pace of the healthcare environment makes workers less
aware as well.
Whose personal safety is affected?
Patients: If patients are concerned for their personal well being or the safety of their
personal property their recovery may be affected. They may decide to get healthcare
treatment elsewhere. Employees: employees with personal safety concerns are less
productive and less attentive to patients. Visitors: Visitors concerned for their personal
well being may encourage their loved ones to seek medical care elsewhere.
Reducing the opportunities for Crime- The triangle of crime
1. The opportunity to commit crime.
2. The desire or motivation to commit the crime.
3. The ability to commit crime.
Of the 3 components, desire and ability are for the most part, beyond the control
of the security professional.
Reducing the opportunity for crime is the key to crime prevention.
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk and the
initiation of some action to remove or reduce it.
Preventing Crime through physical security planning
To adequately protect a healthcare environment and prevent crime a comprehensive
security plan must be developed. Its scope must extend to the following:
1-Protecting Personnel,
, 2-Protecting Information,
3-Protecting the Physical Plant.
Layers of protection:
1. The perimeter barrier.
2. Barriers at the buildings' exteriors.
3. Interior controls.
Perimeters
The first line of defense is a perimeter barrier. A perimeter barrier defines the line or
outside perimeter of the site. It can be either structural or natural. An example of
structural perimeter barrier is a chain-link fence. An example of a natural barrier is a row
of trees.
Exteriors
The second line of defense is at the buildings' exteriors: the top, sides and bottom of
each building. Doors, windows, skylights, and fire escapes provide this defense.
Interiors
The third line of defense is interior controls. Included are the internal operations of the
protected site and the security personnel who protect the environment. Many items
comprise the interior control system. Lock and key systems, access control, systems
( card, biometrics, etc.) alarms, cameras, good policies and procedures, and proper
training examples.
New employees
New employee orientation is a vital fist step to generate employee involvement in
support of the security program. Security's involvement in new employee orientation
begins a relationship between the security department and employees that must be
nurtured and maintained.
Key messages; when and what to report
Urge new employees to report the following safety and security concerns immediately
upon discovery. Suspicious Persons and safety deficiencies.
Hazard surveillance inspections
The purpose of the inspections is to identify any safety and security risks and get them
corrected. Typically the inspection looks for the following: Fire hazards, employee
knowledge and understanding of the fire and emergency plans, hazardous materials,
material safety data sheets, medical gas shut off policy (unit specific) Familiarity with he
Safe Medical Devices Act and how to respond if equipment falls.
Fire Hazards
Obstructions in Corridors, Blocked Sprinkler Heads, Doors blocked open, Obstructed
stairwells, and difficult to see exit signs.
The members of the inspection team
Members of the inspection team commonly include the following: Safety/Security
Director, risk manager, environmental services manager, maintenance manager, and a
representative from the nursing department.
Crime analysis
Crime analysis is one of the most important aspects of risk assessment and crime
prevention. Crime analysis is the ongoing, systematic process of collecting,
What do most security professionals agree that a primary function of the security
department in a healthcare setting should be?
Crime prevention.
Inherent Susceptibility:
A healthcare setting is a prime target for crime, because of how the business of
healthcare works.
Open access:
Healthcare institutions traditionally provide an open access environment. This
arrangement accommodates the huge numbers of people who come onto the property
on a daily basis. Once in a healthcare facility, someone can easily pose as a visitor or
contractor and go through many areas without being questioned.
Presence of Valuable Item:
A healthcare facility is susceptible to crime due to the wide variety of portable,
marketable items used and stored there. More than 3000 items purchased by hospitals
are usable in the home.
Distracted Patients and Staff:
Criminals know that patients and family members often are less aware of their
surroundings due to the medical and emotional issues with which they are dealing.
Criminals also see that the fast pace of the healthcare environment makes workers less
aware as well.
Whose personal safety is affected?
Patients: If patients are concerned for their personal well being or the safety of their
personal property their recovery may be affected. They may decide to get healthcare
treatment elsewhere. Employees: employees with personal safety concerns are less
productive and less attentive to patients. Visitors: Visitors concerned for their personal
well being may encourage their loved ones to seek medical care elsewhere.
Reducing the opportunities for Crime- The triangle of crime
1. The opportunity to commit crime.
2. The desire or motivation to commit the crime.
3. The ability to commit crime.
Of the 3 components, desire and ability are for the most part, beyond the control
of the security professional.
Reducing the opportunity for crime is the key to crime prevention.
Crime prevention
Crime prevention is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk and the
initiation of some action to remove or reduce it.
Preventing Crime through physical security planning
To adequately protect a healthcare environment and prevent crime a comprehensive
security plan must be developed. Its scope must extend to the following:
1-Protecting Personnel,
, 2-Protecting Information,
3-Protecting the Physical Plant.
Layers of protection:
1. The perimeter barrier.
2. Barriers at the buildings' exteriors.
3. Interior controls.
Perimeters
The first line of defense is a perimeter barrier. A perimeter barrier defines the line or
outside perimeter of the site. It can be either structural or natural. An example of
structural perimeter barrier is a chain-link fence. An example of a natural barrier is a row
of trees.
Exteriors
The second line of defense is at the buildings' exteriors: the top, sides and bottom of
each building. Doors, windows, skylights, and fire escapes provide this defense.
Interiors
The third line of defense is interior controls. Included are the internal operations of the
protected site and the security personnel who protect the environment. Many items
comprise the interior control system. Lock and key systems, access control, systems
( card, biometrics, etc.) alarms, cameras, good policies and procedures, and proper
training examples.
New employees
New employee orientation is a vital fist step to generate employee involvement in
support of the security program. Security's involvement in new employee orientation
begins a relationship between the security department and employees that must be
nurtured and maintained.
Key messages; when and what to report
Urge new employees to report the following safety and security concerns immediately
upon discovery. Suspicious Persons and safety deficiencies.
Hazard surveillance inspections
The purpose of the inspections is to identify any safety and security risks and get them
corrected. Typically the inspection looks for the following: Fire hazards, employee
knowledge and understanding of the fire and emergency plans, hazardous materials,
material safety data sheets, medical gas shut off policy (unit specific) Familiarity with he
Safe Medical Devices Act and how to respond if equipment falls.
Fire Hazards
Obstructions in Corridors, Blocked Sprinkler Heads, Doors blocked open, Obstructed
stairwells, and difficult to see exit signs.
The members of the inspection team
Members of the inspection team commonly include the following: Safety/Security
Director, risk manager, environmental services manager, maintenance manager, and a
representative from the nursing department.
Crime analysis
Crime analysis is one of the most important aspects of risk assessment and crime
prevention. Crime analysis is the ongoing, systematic process of collecting,
