Creating a safe and secure environment for staff and patients represents a significant challenge for facilities and estates managers working in hospitals. The continuing threat of theft has put greater emphasis on the need to secure personal belongings and restrict access to drugs, medication and chemicals.
Many hospitals offer patients a lockable bedside cabinet while they are staying overnight and lockers for staff to use while they are working. If the hospital is a large one, imagine how many keys the facilities and estate department has to manage? The problem of replacing lost or broken keys can be time consuming and expensive, especially if keys are issued in high volumes.
KitLock is a digital access solution that uses a four-digit code to secure and open lockers or cabinets. Fitted in place of standard cam locks, KitLock provides simple keypad access without the hassle of keys, tokens or coins.
A KitLock digital cabinet lock functions in two different modes of operation, 'single use or locker mode' - where a new code is selected by each new user and 'repeated use mode' - where the same code is used over and over again.
In hospitals there are many applications where digital cabinet locks can significantly help reduce the amount of time spent managing keys. A bedside cabinet is one example, where a patient can safely store his/her belongings overnight. In locker mode, the patient enters a code that will lock and open only once, and then be erased.
If a patient forgets their code, then someone from the facilities or estates department is able to use a technician's code that will allow the locker to open. This is far easier than having to keep replacing lost or broken keys, and saves a great deal of maintenance time.
KitLock is also ideal for lockers used for short-term occupancy. So, in 'locker mode', members of staff can use a different locker every time they work a shift.
KitLock is also ideal for securing cabinets that secure potentially hazardous materials like drugs or medicine on medical carts and trolleys. Here the KitLock operates in 'repeated use mode' and the code is only issued to a handful of nurses working on a ward.
The nurses use the same code over and over again to regularly access the drugs from the cart or trolley to administer to patients. Regular changes to the access code will ensure the lock remains effective and prevent the code from being misused.
In 'repeated use mode', lockers can be allocated to staff on a more permanent basis. The member of staff is allocated a code and uses it every day to access their locker.
For more information on how our keyless digital locks can be used for applications in healthcare, visit our website.
17, Aug 2012