Anti-ligature design plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals in secure environments such as mental health units, prisons, and community healthcare facilities.
Built Environs approach focuses on ensuring we deliver spaces that integrate safety and security measures without compromising the functionality, and the therapeutic and welcoming nature of spaces.
We highlight below the critical considerations in anti-ligature design and the strategies implemented by Built Environs.
Key Design Considerations
Safety and Risk Mitigation
The primary objective of anti-ligature design is to eliminate hazards that could be used for self-harm. This involves careful selection of materials, fixtures, and fittings that minimise ligature risks. Common solutions include:
- Sloped door handles and curtain rails that prevent attachment points
- Secure, tamper-proof fixtures for lighting, plumbing, and furniture
- Shatterproof materials for mirrors and windows
Durability and Functionality
In high-traffic healthcare and detention facilities, anti-ligature products must be:
- Robust and resistant to impact
- Easy to maintain and clean
- Designed for long-term use without compromising functionality
Regulatory Compliance
Anti-ligature designs must conform to stringent safety regulations, which vary across industries and countries. Compliance with national and international standards ensures that all design elements meet necessary safety criteria, allowing facilities to operate effectively.
Aesthetics and User Experience
While safety is paramount, it is equally important to create environments that are welcoming and non-institutional. Spaces designed with warmth and comfort in mind can contribute to positive mental health outcomes. Soft colour palettes and natural lighting can make spaces feel less clinical, and anti-ligature furniture can resemble standard furniture to avoid a restrictive atmosphere.
Challenges faced during project delivery
During project delivery, key challenges often arise, as highlighted by Built Environs’ Design Managers:
- The approval process can vary significantly from one project to another, each project brings its unique set of regulatory and compliance requirements, demanding a tailored approach to navigate these differences effectively
- The need to balance security with a therapeutic environment, ensuring that spaces feel humane and welcoming rather than restrictive and institutional
- The limited availability of aesthetically pleasing anti-ligature products can make it difficult to design welcoming spaces – customisation requirements further complicate this issue, as the off-the-shelf solutions may not align with the specific needs of a project necessitating bespoke solutions
- Navigating evolving safety standards and ensuring compliance without causing delays in project timelines requires a proactive and adaptive approach
Engaging a construction company with significant and relevant experience in delivering mental health facilities and spaces can mitigate potential delays, especially those related to anti-ligature requirements, such as sourcing toilets and doors from overseas.
Maintaining stakeholder collaboration throughout the process is also imperative to successfully address these challenges and ensure project success.
Integrating Anti-Ligature Solutions
In the development of the Modbury Hospital Health Precinct, anti-ligature solutions were integrated through careful planning and stakeholder engagement. A prototype room played a crucial role in this process. Reviewed by over 110 stakeholders, the prototype room allowed for operational adjustments, including non-ligature related changes. Notably, it helped identify necessary amendments to colour selections, which highlighted the value of completing a prototype room in pre-emptively addressing design issues.
Stakeholders were initially unsure of preferred options for anti-ligature doors. Built Environs provided prototypes for end-user review, demonstrating the positives and negatives of two supplier products, resulting in a combination of suppliers being selected for different applications.
The project also incorporated a mix of anti-ligature fittings and fixtures, with certain areas like patient rooms having non-acute ligature requirements. The prototype room facilitated stakeholder reviews, ensuring acceptance of the design, even when non-ligature items like toilet pans were involved. Significant feedback was gathered on joinery, prompting minor amendments to meet end-user expectations concerning cupboard space, day bed size, and door types for ease of use. Additionally, the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist reviewed and advised on anti-ligature service fittings, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks before commencing on site.
