FEATURE ARTICLES
Hospital Security Simon Hensworth BSc (Security Science) (ICCP – Advanced) Security Consulting Group (SCG)
Hospital environments are unique from a security perspective. They require a balance of privacy, accessibility, safety and security for patients, visitors, and staff. There is a wide range of sensitive information, assets and substances that need to be secured, such as patient records, high value or sensitive equipment and controlled substances (drugs). Facilities, including those with an Emergency Department, generally experience a high throughput and diversity of patients and visitors, which makes monitoring, screening and tracking of authorized individuals a challenge. An increased patient turnover often contributes to a high stress environment, further exacerbated by the presentation of emotionally charged visitors, drug or alcohol affected patients, mentally unstable individuals, and patients who are particularly vulnerable due to age, injury or illness. The pandemic has added a new level of complication to the already challenging hospital security environment, resulting in shortages of staff, fear amongst the public and additional threats to health and safety. Providing an adequate level of security requires a holistic approach and a multi-layered strategy including Security Management, incorporation of security principles, procedural, physical and electronic security, and consideration of new technology as it becomes available to determine whether processes can be enhanced or improved.
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Security Management Security for critical infrastructure such as hospitals must follow a formal and logical approach. Security should be managed in the same way as any other management function, following a cycle of planning, implementation, monitoring and review, for continuous improvement to be achieved. Management of the security function should incorporate a structured and programmed regimen of security risk assessment including assessment of Criticality, Threats, and Vulnerabilities to determine the most cost-effective means of
mitigating security risk to an acceptable level. Security risks can be managed through an integrated system incorporating security principles, and cultural, procedural, physical, electronic and cyber security strategies.
Security Principles: Defence-in-Depth should be a consideration for critical rooms and sensitive areas of the hospital, ensuring that the most vulnerable individuals and activities are given an inherently higher level of protection by locating them within multiple layers of security controls, whether these be physical, procedural or technological. Deter, Detect, Delay and Respond, or 3DR, is a methodology to assess the ability of physical security to manage security risks and incidents. 3DR can assist in testing existing or planned physical security for a hospital to determine the likelihood of physical security successfully minimising the escalation of negative consequences from an incident. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) should be considered, including Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control and Territorial Reinforcement. The correct application of CPTED principles promotes good safety perception by users of the environment, and contributes to mitigating a range of potential security and safety risks. Furthermore, CPTED can result in less reliance on additional technology or overt security measures that are often unsightly and expensive to retrofit.
Procedural Security Procedural security includes policies, procedures, guarding, and other processes that support the security function. Security awareness programs and security related training are vital for promoting a positive security culture and ensuring that staff are optimally equipped to support the hospital security function.
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