Specialist in in door opening solutions, Assa Abloy, has supplied a range of products designed to mitigate patient risk to a new West Midlands mental health facility.
Oak House, in Tipton, provides a specialist 24-hour nursing service for men and women with mental health disabilities. The Camino Healthcare facility features bedrooms, bedsits, assisted bathrooms, and meeting rooms – all designed to accommodate challenging residents who require a high level of care.
Assa’s DC256 clutch thumbturns offer privacy to patients while ensuring that staff can gain entry to rooms at all times in case of emergency. Designed for use on individual bedrooms within secure accommodation, they have an anti-barricade functionality; if the user attempts to grip a thumbturn to prevent staff entry, the sprung clutch mechanism releases and allows the key to turn. The thumbturns also blend into the surrounding environment to avoid creating the feel of a stifling, clinical environment.
In addition, Assa Abloy’s electro-mechanical ‘hold open’ devices, which enable doors to be held open at a desired angle, but to close automatically in the case of an emergency, were fitted and linked to the fire alarm system, while CAM-motion door closers ensured that the doors were light to open, while retaining closing power, ‘an ideal solution’ for people with disabilities.
Mark Parry, sales director at Walsall-based AI Locks & Fittings, said: “Assa Abloy has a wealth of experience working within the health sector, including mental health facilities, so it made sense to specify a tried and trusted brand to secure the Camino Healthcare project. We worked closely with the company to ensure that the products supplied minimised risk to patients who might harm themselves.”
