Hospital Security Professionals In Urgent Need Of Stab Resistant Vests

Hospital Security Professionals are in urgent need for stab resistant vests from sometimes frustrated, aggressive, upset, intoxicated and other hostile members of the public, as well as religious fanatics and potential attacks by terrorists… that’s my strong genuine and professional opinion.

Maybe the ever so thorough media coverage of violent incidents within hospital environments have raised awareness of security risks and threats, and the potential need for stab resistant vests for those professionals who protect these facilities and everyone within.

Maybe it is the horrible acts of violence and aggression against physicians, nurses and security professionals by patients, their family members and friends that recently has caught our attention.

Whatever the case, the security of hospitals and the welfare of the people within is being assessed with greater concern and in more detail than ever before. Violence in hospitals is on the increase, and this is a fact established after reviewing information, statistics and data widely available.

Please have a look yourself and view the following very recent new snips, which all form part of my argument that hospital security professionals should be issued with stab resistant vests… and not to be used when and if needed… but to be issued as compulsory PPE.

I am not sure how many of you were able to watch the TV program on C5 on 26 November 2015 here in the UK, titled: “Violent hospital patients brawling at Queen Elizabeth Hospital” but it was truly astonishing to witness the type of assaults and abuse these guys have to face more or less every time they go to work.

Aggression and abuse towards hospital staff is a regular occurrence in all hospitals here in the UK and worldwide. It is not Birmingham (location of Queen Elizabeth Hospital) and it is not UK specific.

Recent news snips, which should most likely ignite a real discussion on stab resistant vests within healthcare facilities:

• UPDATE:  16th January 2018 – Man, 20, arrested after Leicester hospital stabbing
• 25th May 2017 – Scottish hospitals put special security measures in place as they prepare for possible terror attack over Bank Holiday following Manchester Arena suicide bombing
• 22nd May 2017 – Man accused of attacking hospital staff with traffic cone banned from Belfast city centre
• 24th April 2017 – Three nurses seriously assaulted by patients in EIGHT DAYS at Carstairs triggering police probe into Scotland’s ‘most dangerous’ hospital
• 22nd April 2017 – Troubled man attacked hospital security staff after taking an overdose
• 1st February 2017 – Staff ‘attacked with boiling water’ at secure Ashworth Hospital
• 20th October 2016 – Now even hospital staff get body cameras: Security guards to wear devices after a dramatic rise in assaults
  17th February 2016 – Psych ward patient ‘repeatedly stabbed unarmed hospital security guard in the neck and abdomen, leaving him with life-threatening injuries
• 10th November 2015 – Man arrested after hospital security guard and nurse attacked
• 12th May 2015 – Gang attacked and ‘tied up’ security guards in brazen bid to steal cash from London hospital

Additional news from around the World incl headlines, such as:

• Australia – Lotus Glen prisoners attack hospital security at mental health unit
• India – Doctor assaulted, hospital staff seek additional security
• USA – Hamilton man charged after hospital security guard assaulted
• USA – Man Charged With Assaulting Hospital Security Officer
• USA – “Unruly hospital patient charged for assaulting security guard
• Australia – Hair ripped out, breast flesh bitten off: hospital violence triggers nurse safety demand
• Canada – Security guard in hospital after alleged assault in Port Coquitlam
• Australia – Violent hospital attacks increase, especially on nurses

The Toronto Star reported in July 2015:

“A nurse is punched in the face by a patient. Another is kicked in the breast. One patient calls a nurse a “Nazi b—h.” Another throws urine. One man fondles his genitals in front of a hospital staffer. Another spits in a nurse’s face. These are all incidents of assault that hospital staff reported in 2014 at University Health Network, according to information obtained by the Star through an Access to Information request.”

The Times (UK) reported on 11th June 2017:

“Hospitals and GP surgeries have been told for the first time that they could be targeted by terrorists.”

What can be done to combat this level of violence? The most common systems being implemented by hospitals are electronic access control, digital video surveillance, body worn video solutions and the latest devices from the world of lone worker safety/management technology.

However, effective and regular conflict management and conflict resolution training, as well as better ‘zero violence policies’, communication and reporting procedures have also become a major part in every hospitals security team.

Many experts attribute the perceived increase in violence in hospitals to heightened stress faced by patients, family members and staff as increasing numbers of unemployed, uninsured and drug-using people seek care they can’t access elsewhere.  A major additional risk/threat comes from mentally ill patients and service users, as well as from those severely struggling with our language or expressing extremely different religious or cultural views.  These are factors which are out of the hands of a hospital employee or security officer.  Sometimes it just doesn’t matter how nice, caring and peaceful a hospital security professional within such facility is… the matter of fact is that the best camera and device in the world can’t reach out and stop a bad guy from hitting or stabbing you.  The best policy and the best training will neither stop a potential intoxicated or mentally ill person from overreacting and expressing his feelings with some sort of act of violence.

Given the potential for violence, hospital security professional increasingly are preparing for the worst.  Many hospitals have now rightly decided to review their risk assessments and concluded their security teams must be issued with overt stab resistant vests and high visibility stab resistant vests or bespoke stab resistant vests in order to reduce workplace violent related injuries and improve the personal safety of their frontline staff.

Over the past few years I have personally advised many senior officials within hospital environment of the importance of ‘patient’s perception’. Many have echoed that overtly worn stab resistant vests can at times be perceived as ‘confrontational’, ‘aggressive’, paramilitary’ and ‘hard security’… something a hospital or health care facility might well be opposed to.

Hospital security professionals should appear ‘approachable’, ‘helpful’ and ‘general safety conscious’… and for this very reason we have developed hi-viz stab resistant vests.

Stab resistant vests are a safety net… they are not making you invincible and neither are they a free pass for acting like James Bond or Rambo.  Nevertheless they are a safety net, just like a seat belt in your car.  You may never need it, but one day… and absolutely regardless of your driving skill and level of awareness and skill… it only takes another idiot to play on his phone, loose concentration, fall asleep, be drunk or something down these lines and crash into your car.  That’s the moment when you will be most grateful that you have been given this seat belt.

PPSS Stab Resistant Vests are ultra-light and offer UK Home Office certified stab protection as well as unmatched protection from blunt force trauma (e.g. from kicks, punches or blows) and outstanding protection from hypodermic needles, another very realistic threat in today’s society.

Please view our rather interesting video product demonstration:

Please also read a kind ‘testimonial’ of Sodexo (one of the UK’s leading facility management firms) looking after the operation of Central Manchester Hospital: click here

Whatever others might tell you… the fact remains that PPSS Group’s stab resistant vests offer by far the most effective and truly outstanding levels of blunt force trauma protection.

About Blunt Force Trauma

“Blunt trauma, blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma refers to physical trauma to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack. … The term refers to the initial trauma, from which develops more specific types such as contusions, abrasions, lacerations, and/or bone fractures.”

For further information please contact Tactical GEar Distributors Australia, Exclusive Distributors for PPSS Group on 1300 896001 or 07 56132608 or email sales@tacticalgeardistributors.com.au