How to Pick Television Enclosures for Psych Rooms

By | October 24, 2013

Television enclosures for psych rooms – life or death.

With patient care being of paramount importance, how to pick television enclosures for psych rooms is critical to the welfare and safety of inmates and staff. Self harm or using a smashed shard of glass as a weapon is dangerous and must be avoided at all costs. Television enclosures for psych rooms comprise of a steel housing unit, with a safety viewing window protecting the television screen and all the cabling securely hidden from potential incidents. The steel box itself has a patented design to deter clients from harming themselves. Possible incidents may be looping material, like bedding strips, around the rectangular box enclosure, however due to the particular patented design from DOOH Ltd, this is not possible. These particular boxes are known as anti ligature television enclosures, to be specific.

Installing a protective television housing

Deciding on the best position or location for a protective television housing is usually in the same place as the television set is currently, however the wall on which it is to be positioned must be substantial enough to take the additional weight of the steel box. Television enclosures for psych rooms are usually wall mounted; flush or recessed into the cavity wall to avoid gaps where material could be used as a noose for strangulation. Not everyone committed to a psychiatric institution has thoughts of suicide, but prevention is necessary to safe guard everyone around, so installing a non loop television housing unit is the sensible option.

46inch television enclosures

television enclosures for psych rooms

The best and most effective size for a protection are the 46 inch television enclosures – having measured the current television set or selected a new model, the forty six inch screen protector is a standard size which suits most rooms and is always in stock at DOOH Ltd. The viewing window can be either polycarbonate, which is the normal option for psych rooms, alternatively toughened safety glass may be an option for some situations. The clear panel does not distort the image played on the television screen and is virtually unbreakable and scratch resistant, so even vandalism isn’t an issue.

Television enclosures for psych rooms

There are varying degrees of psychiatric mental states, but other institutions, like jails, police cells and immigration detention centers are all aware and have preventative procedures in place, in case of an incident. Avoiding any occurrence is the best method, which is why anti ligature television enclosures are most suitable. The human rights of a detainee have to be respected and this includes access to media and the outside world, via a television, nevertheless there is always an element of self harm to respect. It is very sad when a person tries to take their own life and although some succeed, for others it is a cry for help; out of a desperate situation. Protecting TV’s in Psych rooms and installing an institutional TV enclosure, provides damage limitation, whilst allowing prisoners to watch television, is the key to getting the balance right.

At DOOH Ltd, our main clients are psychiatric institutions where we have been awarded US Federal approval and are specified to all architects in this field, this is why our protective housings are used as television enclosures for psych rooms.