Anti ligature TV enclosure solutions.
When any hospital or behavioural unit is being designed, anti ligature TV enclosures are specified at this time, but for the more thought out projects one company is specified more than others, find out who and why that it. Wikipedia has a good article.
So let’s clear some points up about products, manufacturing processes and pricing.
The specified anti ligature solution.
ProEnc have worked with the US Mental Health departments architects and developed a TV enclosure that matches their needs exactly from steel. Ensuring that any installation supplied with a ProEnc anti ligature TV housing never has an incident when a patient self-harms on the housing.
ProEnc invested heavily in creating the solution that is now specified, but it did take 18 months to finalize and since then ProEnc have been supplied health care facilities across the USA.
What makes ProEnc different is that their comfort room TV enclosure is made entirely in the USA, for the American and Canadian markets, not like the competition.
Pros – Security locks, thickest viewing window in the industry, the only solution to offer audio solution, specified by US architects for hospital extensions, refurbishments and new builds. Our portfolio can be seen at https://www.lcdtvenclosure.com/anti-ligature-tv-enclosure
Sloped top unit.
This company offers a sloped top enclosure, but as we have proven previously housings just with a sloped top is an accident waiting to happen. They fit cam locks on to their housings that are easy to open without the key! The viewing window is 1/8” thick, less than 1/3rd of the recommended thickness of the Mental Health department architects.
They have their steel enclosures made in China, how do we know? Well a manufacturer in China has contacted us offering their design to our company! When questioned the Chinese manufacturer confirmed their customer.
Is seems that anyone can import all the pieces and stick a label on the product saying ‘Made In USA’, which we feel is unethical and is done to deceive the customer who is looking for a local supplier.
Cons – not made in USA (deceiving customers), no security locks, thin viewing window (will not withstand furniture being thrown at the front of the enclosure), not a true anti ligature housing, expensive.
Plastic cover.
We have had health care professionals remark what a joke this product is! It’s made from thin plastic that falls apart from the first attack! We purchased one of these units and tested it, as you can see from the video below it is of a very low quality.
When the box was opened, the plastic panels had been scratched, before shipping, as they had been wrapped securely in the shipping carton. The lock is a very poor quality cam lock that can be opened even without the key. The unit is self-assemble and our skilled engineer took longer than expected to put it together. Having to resort to using a mallet to fit the sloping top to the square box, as the sloped section has to be mounted to the square top and takes some force! Another issue was when the frame was being assembled, you screw each section together, but when you put the slightest pressure on the screws with the supplied Alan key, the part that holds the screw snaps, so that section is no longer attached – this is a redesigned unit!
Cons – plastic design, falls apart easily, not secure and not anti ligature, VERY expensive.
Anti ligature TV enclosure video.
Conclusions.
In the past month, we’ve had several inquiries from health care professionals, one told us their regular supplier (an office furniture supplier out of Atlanta) had quoted and fitted the tv-armour box in a secure psychiatric unit. When the facilities director walked round after the install, they did not like what they saw – ‘the low quality plastic boxes that offer little if any protection’ (exact words of the Facilities Director of the hospital).
We then has another inquiry from a hospital in Texas who was quoted over $1700 for the plastic cover and the sloped top solution and was shocked when they discovered that ProEnc’s solution was more cost effective but came with much more whistle and bells, that the other manufacturers charge extra far. Only a fool would buy an inferior unit!
If you are looking for a protective TV housing for a hospital application, the best solution is to contact ProEnc who are specified as the only approved manufacturer of anti ligature TV housings.