AI-based weapons detectors introduced in NS

HALIFAX – Anyone entering the QEII’s Halifax Infirmary or Dartmouth General Hospital will now go through AI-enabled weapons screening. People are asked to budget extra time for the screening when arriving for appointments and to avoid bringing non-essential items to cut down on wait times.

The technology is being introduced to the Halifax-area hospitals as part of efforts to “enhance safety and security for all patients, visitors and hospital staff,” according to Nova Scotia Health.

The device will be placed at the main doors and emergency entrances at both facilities.

It uses artificial intelligence to detect anything that resembles a weapon or is “reasonably deemed capable of being used as a weapon.”

Anything that is prohibited, which includes firearms and brass knuckles, will be confiscated and may be turned over to police.

“Security staff will be present to answer any questions or address concerns about navigating the new safety process. AI technology will not adversely affect people with medical devices,” Nova Scotia Health noted in a release.

Workplace safety and violence in healthcare settings have been an ongoing concern in Nova Scotia. In January, three employees at the Halifax Infirmary emergency department were stabbed by a patient in what the province’s health minister called a “serious incident.”

In an August update, Nova Scotia Health said the project was a success. Over a 10-day period in May, 7,400 people walked through the doors of that hospital and 49 prohibited items were detected. These included pocketknives and box cutters.

“(The technology) significantly reduces the number of secondary searches required to ensure that we actually know what it is that’s setting off the detector,” said Dean Stienburg, director of security with Nova Scotia Health, in August.

“And that’s important because it’s less invasive for the people coming in. It’s faster. It is more accurate in a lot of circumstances for us.”

Saturday’s change means that visitors at the QEII will no longer be able to enter the Halifax Infirmary through the pedway from the Abbie J Lane or Veterans Memorial buildings.