IAHSS Security Design Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities – 4th Edition Released

The latest edition of the IAHSS Security Design Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities, 4th Edition, has been released, offering the most comprehensive and up-to-date best practices for designing appropriate security measures into each new construction and renovation project. Developed by leading healthcare security experts and design professionals, this new edition reflects significant updates to the 3rd edition and new guidelines for outpatient facilities (medical office buildings and outpatient clinics), and design principles that can help mitigate violence in healthcare such as weapons screening.

This publication is intended to guide healthcare security practitioners, design teams, and building owner representatives involved in the design process to consider and integrate these best practices, where appropriate, into each new and renovated Healthcare Facility (HCF) space.

The updated guidelines include:
General Guideline Primary Intents:

• The General Guideline recognizes that new construction or renovation of existing HCFs presents the best opportunity to effectively integrate security principles in HCFs.
• The initial planning and conceptual design phase of all newly constructed or renovated HCFs shall include a Security Vulnerability Assessment led by a Qualified Healthcare Security Professional.

Content Sections:

Inpatient Facilities

• Emergency Departments
• Behavioral/Mental Health Areas
• Pharmacies
• Cashier and Cashiers and Collection Areas
• Infant and Pediatric Facilities
• Protected Health Information Areas
• Utility, Mechanical, and Infrastructure Areas
• NEW - Weapons Screening and Detection
• New - Outpatient Facilities
• Residential/Long Term Care
• Emergency Management

The guidelines provide specific best practices in each of the above areas including a statement that introduces the subject and provides some background. Intents follow the statement with providing specific details relating the area within the guideline.

“It is our hope that each new construction and renovation project will include the principles identified in these guidelines. The guidelines can also help practitioners discuss security design principles with key stakeholders before new or updated facilities are discussed. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from managers and providers of specific security sensitive areas like the Emergency Department, Pharmacy, and others that they wished they had known about these guidelines prior to their recent renovation. I always recommend security professionals use these guidelines to review design principles with security sensitive area leaders before there is any discussion about renovations.” said Tom Smith, CHPA, CPP – Current vice chair and original 2012 SDGHF Task Force chair, President, Healthcare Security Consultants, Inc.

The Security Design Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities, 4th Edition is now available for purchase in print and eBook versions.

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