Expanding barriers: Enhancing workplace safety in medical facilities

Expanding barriers are versatile and can be used in a number of places for proper safety of people, managing traffic and improving accessibility. The following are some of the benefits and applications of expanding barriers.

Compliance with OSHA

It is essential that the expendable barriers meet OSHA requirements. The barriers should function in all situations and should be adaptable, collapsible and portable. These are essential qualities that would make them ideal for a number of industrial settings.

However, we will discuss the role of expanding barriers in ensuring safety in healthcare settings.

The use of expanding barriers in healthcare

  • Crowd and traffic control. Expanding barriers can help control the number of patient visitors. It can help ensure a smooth flow and prevent congestion thus maintaining the discipline of the medical setting.
  • Restricting access. The barriers can be used to restrict access to certain areas which are not open for unauthorised individuals. This could be laboratories or medical rooms with hazardous materials.
  • Improving patient safety.  The barriers can help prevent accidents such as collisions by marking the boundaries and controlling people in high risk areas.
  • Demarcating boundaries and separating areas. Expandable barriers can be used to separate different zones in a healthcare facility. For example; the waiting area can be differentiated from the examination room and the treatment areas.
  • Reducing the risk of crush and stampedes.  Sometimes when there are a lot of people in the same place it could lead to a Stampede. This can be quite risky for the safety of the patients and the staff. Expanding barriers can help prevent this by creating different zones and stopping the flow of traffic.

However, it is essential that the expanding barriers are used in conjunction with other strategies to improve patient care and experience. The hospital and the medical facility must ensure an open schedule template and should have expanding patient care hours so that patients are able to receive care when they need it. They would also need extra workforce who use their skills to manage the crowds and ensure the safety of all present at the hospital or the medical facility.

Where to use expanding barriers in healthcare

Expandable barriers can be used in different healthcare settings such as,

  • Hospitals and clinics can make use of expendable barriers to control the number of patients and visitors and to prevent congestion. It is important that the patients are provided with complete comfort while they enter hospitals so that they do not panic and lose their cool.
  • The emergency department of the hospital can use these barriers to separate different zones within the emergency department’s such as the waiting area the examination rooms and their treatment areas.
  • A range of expanding barriers can also be used to restrict areas where unauthorised individuals are not allowed such as construction zones or medical facilities which are only to be used by the professional staff.
  • Expanding barriers can also be used at events and conferences to separate different areas during exhibitions and health fairs.

Expanding barriers have a crucial role to play in improving patient satisfaction in medical facilities and hospitals.

 

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