What is a widely recommended cost-effective safety measure in hospital facilities?

• A. Provide lockable 'employee only' bathrooms
• B. Install high-end access control everywhere
• C. Hire security guards on every shift
• D. Paint the walls a bright color

Answer: (A)

Controlling access to staff-only spaces is a practical, low-cost way to improve safety in a hospital. Providing lockable bathrooms for employees limits who can use those facilities, reducing opportunities for outsiders to slip into restricted areas, tamper with equipment, or cause disturbances. Locks are inexpensive to install and maintain and can be added to existing restrooms quickly, making this a scalable, budget-friendly measure that improves privacy and hygiene for staff and helps keep patient areas safer. In contrast, installing high-end access control everywhere or hiring security guards on every shift, while effective, would be much more costly and less sustainable. Painting walls, while cosmetic, does not meaningfully enhance safety or security.