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Security barriers not required at hospitals. Could that have prevented injuries?
- Alex Pineda
- Feb 18, 2024
- 2 min read
In our Storefront Safety Council database of more 28,000 vehicle-into-building crashes, we see hundreds of similar incidents at hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. Medical facilities that are unprotected at their entrances risk mass casualty events such as this one in Austin. Vehicles that crash into Emergency Rooms and urgent care facilities not only might strike a large number of waiting patients, they might also strike employees, highly combustible oxygen tanks and lines, and strike very expensive medical equipment.
In addition to the more spectacular incidents like this one, hospitals and emergency rooms also risk more simple pedestrian injuries because they have a higher than normal risk of driver error accidents.
Reasons for this include:
The use of zero curb designs and layouts which provide no separation between pedestrians/patients and oncoming vehicles
A much higher percentage of arriving vehicles driven by older drivers
A much higher percentage of drivers under the effect of medications
A much higher percentage of drivers with some form of temporary impairment or permanent disability
Approaching drivers may be experiencing a medical emergency themselves and are trying to get to treatment -- as in this case in Austin.
Those hospitals and ERs and other medical facilities that are properly protected from accidental or deliberate vehicle incursions still function the same in every way. They are still completely ADA compliant. Medical personnel can still conduct their operations and functions without restriction, and patients do not stop coming because an entrance "looks like a fortress." The cost of installing crash tested and crash rated bollards or safety barriers is minuscule and are simple, one time only events.
In healthcare, where "Do No Harm" is such a fundamental concept, this blind spot has created pain, expensive repairs, and inescapable legal liability. So it is very puzzling why the excuse of "bollards and barriers are not required by any code" that is mentioned in this article from KXAN is such a meaningless argument. Building codes are not safety codes. These sorts of casualty events are foreseeable (because of how frequently they occur) they are predictable (because the mixing of pedestrians/patients and vehicles is known to be dangerous) and they are preventable (by installing available, affordable, and effective solutions.) When has safety of employees and the public ever NOT been a standard for any facility?
It’s surprising that security barriers aren’t standard in many hospitals, especially given the potential for preventable injuries. Beyond emergency care, facilities like a med spa in Houston TX can help individuals recover physically and emotionally from trauma.
The discussion around hospital safety is often focused on medical care, but physical infrastructure plays a crucial role too. The article on storefrontsafety.org raises an important question—could the absence of required security barriers at hospitals be a hidden factor in patient and visitor injuries? It challenges assumptions about hospital design, reminding us that health protection extends beyond what's happening inside patient rooms. If you're looking for ways to support your well-being more holistically, including environmental and internal safeguards, check out pre-packaged organic essiac tea where you’ll find resources that promote a balanced, health-first lifestyle. One of the standout solutions discussed there is Essiac Tea enriched with fulvic acid—a natural combination known to support detoxification and overall wellness, reinforcing that protecting…
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The debate over whether security barriers should be required at hospitals raises concerns about patient safety and potential injury prevention. Business ideas for nurses could include providing consulting services for hospital safety protocols, offering training on injury prevention, or starting a business focused on healthcare security solutions to protect both staff and patients.