Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (AusHFG)

The Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (AusHFG) are published by the Australasian Health Infrastructure Alliance (AHIA), a collaboration of all Australian state and territory health departments plus the New Zealand Ministry of Health. They provide comprehensive guidance for planning, designing, and building health facilities. While technically guidelines rather than standards, AusHFG is effectively mandatory for government-funded health projects. Most states have formal policy directives that mandate compliance with AusHFG for new builds and major refurbishments.

HPU 131 — Mental Health Overarching Guideline (Rev 2.0, January 2024): This is the primary document covering anti-ligature requirements in mental health facilities. It addresses ligature risk assessment, environmental design principles, and product specification guidance. Part C Section 6 — Safety and Security Precautions: Covers broader safety requirements including anti-ligature fittings, anti-barricade provisions, observation requirements, and secure areas. Door Guidance Document (V1, January 2025): The newest addition, specifically addressing anti-ligature door system requirements — this is significant because nearly half of all inpatient suicides involve door or door hardware.

Any facility funded by a state or federal health department is expected to comply with AusHFG. This includes: • Public hospitals (mental health wards, PICUs, HDUs) • Community mental health centres • Government-funded residential facilities • Emergency department safe assessment rooms Private facilities are not strictly required to comply but increasingly use AusHFG as a benchmark for accreditation and insurance purposes.

AusHFG does not prescribe specific products or brands. Instead, it establishes performance requirements that products must meet. When specifying anti-ligature products for an AusHFG-compliant facility, consider: • Load-release thresholds (typically 35-40kg for bathroom fixtures) • Gap and projection limits (no point above floor level should allow a ligature to be attached) • Material requirements (shatterproof, fire-retardant where applicable) • Maintenance and replacement considerations • Integration with monitoring and alarm systems