Safe Chargers
A common policy among psychiatric wards is that at-risk patients must hand over any chargers. The reason usually given is that the long cables (regardless of their weight bearing capacity) can be used for self-strangulation. Their phones are their lifelines to support and reassurance. Managing the charging of multiple patients' devices is also a significant unnecessary drain on resources.
This problem can be avoided entirely.
Upon admission, loan them one of these instead.
(We have a stock of the cables ready to go, and can have chargers tested and tagged very quickly)
We are starting a pilot program to provide appropriately certified (RCM/CE) and professionally tested/tagged (AS/NZS 3760) chargers with extremely short cables to psychiatric wards which cannot easily be used as any kind of ligature. This includes USB-C, USB-Micro, Lightning and 30 Pin.
We use IKEA SJÖSS 30W chargers. They are readily available, excellent value for money and well regarded by people who do teardowns.
We are compiling a submission for the Victorian Chief Psychiatrist. If you are able to contribute, contact us.
All materials and funds used for this are donated.
People who are having the worst days of their lives should be able to talk to loved ones.
We have a substantial stockpile of short cables ready to go, and a demonstrated history of raising the resources needed to make this happen.