Enhancing Safety and Security with the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System

Ensuring the safety and well-being of patients in mental health care is paramount. Tragically, statistics reveal that a significant portion – up to 90% – of inpatient suicides occur within the confines of patients’ rooms or bathrooms.[1] That’s why Cooke Brothers has developed the innovative DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System, specifically designed and engineered to mitigate the risk of self-harm by enhancing emergency access in the event of patients barricading themselves in their rooms in mental health facilities.

Cooke Brothers designed the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System to provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced in mental health and custodial environments – though it is also sometimes specified in educational settings too. Its purpose-made design is devised specifically to address the unique needs of these settings, where the risk of ligature or self-harm is a potential risk by preventing patients from barricading themselves in a room, a dangerous scenario for both the patient and staff. With its tamper-proof and resistant features, the DUALWAY™ system offers an essential safety measure that ensures the security and well-being of everyone in the facility.

DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System

DUALWAY™ is a complete system comprising a doorset with a preformed steel frame, a two-way release mechanism, a special hinged frame within a frame, an optional concealed door closer, and a special DUALWAY™ Interleaf continuous hinge.

Design

One of the critical components of the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System is its reduced ligature hinges and hardware. We engineer these components specifically to minimise the risk of self-harm, making them ideal for environments where there is a heightened chance of such incidents. The emergency release locks and DUALWAY™ opening mechanism provide quick access for staff, while the hardware keeps the door securely locked to maintain safety protocols.

Application

The versatility of the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System makes it suitable for a range of healthcare settings, including hospitals, secure units, and specialised mental health facilities. It can be used in new-build or retrofit scenarios, integrating with existing facilities to provide a reliable solution that can be tailored to the specific needs of each setting.

Two Way Release Operation

Another feature that sets the system apart is its unique two-way door operation. By allowing secure doors to be opened from both sides, the DUALWAY™ system eliminates the possibility of barricading the door, ensuring swift access by staff in emergency situations, and promoting emergency ingress without compromising on the door’s everyday operation.

Principals and Operation

The system works on a frame within a frame principle, allowing standard door thicknesses to be mounted within a secondary high-security steel inner frame. This design ensures rigidity and security while retaining its normal door function. In everyday use, the standard inward-opening door operates normally, providing access using a purpose-designed full-height anti-ligature continuous hinge. The inner preformed steel frame provides rigid support and security through heavy-duty, purpose-designed mechanical hook bolt locking or with the option of an electrically operated locking system.

Barricade Release

But in emergencies or barricaded door situations, staff can quickly release the door and inner frame, enabling immediate access into the room. This is achieved by releasing the dual hook locks mortised into the outer frame and operated by unique security profile keys or through an electrically operated release mechanism.

See the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System demo video

Doorset and Frame Options

The DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System is designed to accommodate a variety of doorset and frame options, adapting to different requirements and specifications. The system can be customised to suit standard door thicknesses, including FD30S and FD60S fire door options, and can be supplied in a range of finishes to match the facility’s aesthetic.

Security and Hardware

Security and hardware are of paramount importance in mental health environments. The DUALWAY™ system is equipped with purpose-designed heavy-duty mortice hook bolts to ensure robust security. It is also supplied complete with anti-tamper escutcheons and dedicated staff-only security keys.

Anti-Ligature Feature

Cooke Brothers is rightly famous for manufacturing the interleaf continuous hinges that form an integral part of the DUALWAY™ system. They feature a unique interleaf design plus anti-ligature end tips – enhanced safety features to minimise ligature risk. These hinges have the added benefit of distributing the door load evenly to offer increased strength over pivoted doorsets and minimise the potential for splitting under impact or abuse.

The DUALWAY™ system can also feature a Perko Powermatic concealed jamb-mounted door closer, which offers an adjustable closing speed and power latching action. This ensures smooth operation while maintaining patient privacy and minimising institutional aesthetics, reducing, once again, the potential for fixing a ligature.

Download the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade door system brochure

As mental health care continues to evolve, the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System helps to promote safety, security, and holistic well-being within healthcare facilities. For further details of how the DUALWAY™ Anti-Barricade Door System works and helps patients and staff stay safe, get in touch with the team at Cooke Brothers. We can advise you on how the system can work for your project.

[1] National Library of Medicine: Inpatient suicide in psychiatric settings: Evaluation of current prevention measures. 2022