Kennon Products Releases Revolutionary Suicide Prevention Door for Medical Health Facilities

Sheridan, Wyo., April 27, 2022 -- As medical facilities across the US strengthen efforts to make healthcare environments safer, industry pioneer Kennon Products has introduced its second-generation in-room Soft Suicide Prevention Door (SSPD), the Kennon SSPD Door 2.0.

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and the rate has risen in recent years, in clinical settings. In the healthcare environment, patient rooms and bathrooms can contain features that patients use to attempt suicide. The Kennon SSPD Door 2.0 is designed to give patients privacy while its ligature-resistant breakaway hinge protects them from harming themselves. The door is ideal for use in behavioral health facilities, psychiatric hospitals, mental health facilities, emergency departments, assisted-living situations, prisons, and juvenile facilities.

“Three years of engineering and testing allowed us to achieve a door in which we are really proud,” said Joe Wright, CEO of Kennon Products. “The Kennon SSPD Door 2.0 is the most advanced in-room suicide prevention door. The door is soft, lightweight, and has a magnetic hinge which will break away under 20 pounds of pressure. It’s also very durable and received NFPA-286 certification from the National Fire Protection Association. Facility operators wishing to meet certain fire prevention guidelines require that certification, and the Kennon SSPD Door 2.0 is the first to receive that certification. NFPA-286 is a big accomplishment for our team.”

The Kennon SSPD Door 2.0 was designed for both new construction and retrofitting into existing units. The door helps facilities demonstrate patient care, boost staff morale and adds an aesthetic element in an otherwise sterile patient room environment. The door comes in four sizes to fit any doorway. Its integrated magnetic hinge enables easy installation into any hollow metal frame in seconds with no special tools or training. In non-steel door frames, Kennon offers ligature-resistant attachment plates.

Other features include:

Tear Resistant
Durable/Water Resistant
Easily washable
Customizable with colors, graphics, and images to match any decor
Anti-ligature design
Breakaway hinge
Magnetic closure
Integrated notch for use as a “door handle”
Meets Life Safety Code 101

Kennon Products created the original SSPD in 2009, working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The Kennon SSPD Door 2.0 is lighter than the previous door, improving functionality. It also enables caregivers to see in, and monitor the patient, while not infringing on their privacy. Kennon offers the door, printed with high-resolution images, on both sides. Kennon has sold over 18,000 Soft Suicide Prevention Doors to roughly 600 different facilities across the United States.

“Our mission gives us enough flexibility to explore all kinds of new markets,” Wright said. “Our key to success isn't our products so much as it is the tight integration of our engineering, manufacturing, and our mission of protecting people. We took on the challenge of creating the SSPD because it meshed perfectly with our mission to protect people, and the solution required the same engineering and precision manufacturing that we use in the rest of our products.”

About Kennon Products

Founded in 1984, Kennon Products is a leading designer and manufacturer of products that protect people and high-value assets for the military, aviation, and healthcare industries. The company employs more than 60 people at its Sheridan, Wyoming facility. Kennon is an employee-owned ESOP (employee stock ownership program) company. With engineering and manufacturing at its core, Kennon Products says yes to virtually any project whose goal is to protect high-value assets. Learn more about Kennon Products at kennonproducts.com.

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