As one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of anti-ligature products, with over 10 years of experience, we are frequently asked if we provide support with the following mandatory requirements:
- NHS Estates Safety Notice (2002) – In adult psychiatric setting, any cubicle track, curtain track, shower track and wardrobe rails with load release support systems must be maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and subject to an annual safety load test to ensure that the device functions correctly.
- Manufacturers' Guidelines – carry out a physical inspection and load testing of YewdaleKestrel® fittings to identify any possible damage or evidence of tampering and undertake an annual load test.
- Estates & Facilities Alert EFA/2019/003 – states, carry out a collaborative multi-disciplinary risk assessment in-situ at department level to check all ‘anti ligature’ type curtain rails are installed and maintained in line with manufacturer’s instructions.
- Health Building Note 00-10 Part E: Curtains and tracking - 5.2 All tracking should be tested annually as per manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that changes made to the configuration or environmental conditions have not adversely affected performance.
The failure of not carrying out these annual inspections and testing of anti-ligature products could be classified as a Never Event due to manufacturing guidelines not being adhered to. It is critical that all Healthcare Providers are compliant and have full knowledge that the products installed within their buildings are appropriate for the current use, have not been tampered with and pass the load release test set out in their risk assessments or by the manufacturer.
How Protects Plus will help
After working closely with us, Protects Plus have launched a software package that enables Healthcare Providers to have control and management of these anti-ligature products to ensure they are compliant with these mandatory requirements. The software allows Healthcare Providers to log in, access annual test reports for all load release assets within their buildings/Trust, monitor areas that need addressing and be alerted when the next annual safety load tests are due.
With this in mind, we are informing all our clients that whilst the responsibility of the installation will remain with the trained installer, we will be working exclusively with Protects Plus for all its annual testing and reporting of YewdaleKestrel® load release products.
We believe this to be one of the most significant steps taken in recent times in the Healthcare sector and believe it is yet again another service that sets the YewdaleKestrel® system ahead in the marketplace. Having a reliable, dedicated testing partner provides even more confidence in the long-term efficacy of the YewdaleKestrel® range.
To find out about the full offering of Protects Plus, please contact them on [email protected] or call them on 0345 646 0955.