HEALTHCARE Signage - Cause For Concern?: News from Signs and Labels

Poor signage in a healthcare environment can cause a number of problems, some more serious than others.

While adhering to basic signage guidelines can go a long way to solving these problems, there is no substitute for talking to an expert Paul Lovelock is a Healthcare Estates Signage expert with the UK's largest safety sign supplier Signs and Labels and is responsible for complete signage solutions for many of the UK's busiest Healthcare Trusts and hospitals

This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 18 Oct 2004 at 8.00am (UK)

Basic Signage Conformity As many healthcare institutions tend to be large, multiple building facilities with several access points and a high number of people present, many of whom are not familiar with the layout and surroundings, a clear and consistent signage message is essential for safe and efficient movement of people.

Colours, type font, symbols and visibility should be consistent throughout a site.

In NHS and NHS Trust institutions they must also be consistent between sites.

Particularly on older sites, there may be several decades of signage still in use, this has to be reviewed and updated to meet guidelines and ensure safety, typically, old signage causes confusion when a journey includes a different layout or colour scheme, as older signs tend to be ignored and the newer, or clearer signs may not then provide all the information that is needed.

The main colours to check are on way marking and informational signs that should have black lettering on a clear white background, any A and E signage should be white on red.

Actual colours do matter here; NHS or BS standards should be referred to.

Lettering is recommended to be 'frutiger' font, but other similar sans serif fonts are acceptable when they are used consistently throughout a site.

Items that need replacement include older style brown NHS signs, any hand written signs, even if they are temporary and any signs that use elaborate fonts; often they have been printed internally and laminated.

Complex names for buildings and areas that can refer to medical terms may also need reviewing if there is a high possibility of the public not understanding them, although this requires careful consideration, due to staff who will use and recognise them.

Site Review Part of the first step in addressing the issue of correct signage is to make a site review, most estate managers will be familiar with the site they work on, but it is still important to travel around the site with just the question of signage in mind.

The NHS guide provides guidelines on conformity but this still requires the sign provider to be familiar with those guidelines and all the signs on any site to comply.

This is particularly true at the main entrance where a visitor needs to receive conformation that they have arrived at the correct destination.

Signage specialists such as Signs and Labels will also provide a qualified site assessor at no charge to make a preliminary visit and comment on the estate manager's findings, this should prompt either a more detailed site report or highlight any areas that require attention and can be easily remedied.

Traffic control The first place to start should be the entrance and car park, the main site name and details should be very clearly visible, guidelines on the layout and information on these signs is comprehensive and should be referred to carefully by the customer and the sign supplier.

Another important early checkpoint is that access for emergency vehicles is very clearly marked to ensure the area is kept clear of non-emergency vehicles and personnel.

Speed limits and clear road markings are essential as many people are in an emotional or distracted state when visiting a hospital and extra reminders to be vigilant and reduce speed are important.

This can include; barriers, highway style signage for entries and speed limits and a variety of highly visual speed ramps or traffic calming road markings.

Way marking Way marking looks simple but is often the most difficult to get right as there are so many considerations, from visibility to positioning, possible misinterpretation and consistency through a complete journey.

The aim is to ensure that the general public use the correct entrance and that any door in the building can be found from the car park.

Directing visitors from the car park on larger sites can be started with a detailed map, these can be lit and modelled to represent the site and have proved very effective on sites such as Good Hope (illustrated).

Most signs are supported with two posts, but finger posts are also useful at the start of a journey and at junctions because multiple directions can be accommodated at one central point.

Walls are useful but limited for direction and visibility.

Height is also crucial for legibility, as it needs to take into account those with poor eyesight, in wheelchairs and in vehicles.

Some colour coding can be helpful at identifying separate areas or wings but block colours should always be used on the sign and should not be used as the main background for the sign or the lettering because it reduces legibility.

Night-time Since most sites operate on a 24hour basis, night time considerations are important.

A check of the site signage in the dark is often a useful exercise as it reveals areas that require attention.

Entrance signs should be effectively illuminated and pedestrian walkways require lighting where street lighting does not reach.

Traffic signage should be class 1 (highly reflective - such as motorway signs) or class 2, (not as reflective - equivalent to B-roads or towns) but must be lit and/or reflective.

Entrances to buildings should also be well lit taking care that the light reaches all the signage.

DDA Part III of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) comes into to force next year, requiring an equal service to be provided to all customers, including the visually impaired.

It has been estimated that 15% of the population (8.5 million) are covered by the DDA, 2 million of which are blind or partially sighted.

Most healthcare sites now have good disabled access facilities, but this obviously impacts strongly on signage.

Under the forthcoming legislation, service providers will have to make 'reasonable alterations' to premises to better meet their needs.

Well placed signs that use clear colours and lettering and are lit well at night will prove adequate for most partially sighted people, however, with a possibly higher number of poorly sighted or blind people visiting healthcare sights than other public buildings, Braille signs and strong symbols will be required.

Signs and Labels have, in anticipation, introduced a range of over 150 different tactile and Braille signs that are available off-the-shelf and at a low cost.

After all, most sites will have entrances, toilets, telephones, receptions, lifts, stairs and fire exits which can be easily identified by the signs, that offer a raised image and/or raised Braille lettering.

To have these signs custom made would be very costly as the factors that make the signs effective are complex.

It is important to be pro-active about this piece of legislation, because the cost of a quick fix could well be higher and proved less effective than a planned approach.

Temporary Major Incident Signs An example of signage that would be useful to many sites is a planned series of temporary signs to direct people and medical crews to the correct areas during a major incident or emergency.

The examples here were created for Good Hope hospital and include, medical crew directions, visitors, press office and temporary traffic control.

As there is relatively little notice for this type of emergency, the speed and accuracy of deployment of signage is essential.

The signs are screw fixed or slot mounted depending where they are situated.

Colour schemes are red on white and red on yellow, they are larger and clearer that standard signs to ensure they stand out when they are deployed.

The aim is to make sure people know where to go straight away and cause the minimum of disruption to normal services while allowing the added activity to run as smoothly as possible.

Flexibility and Value A complete signage revamp can represent a serious financial commitment and so quality, longevity and flexibility are important.

Modular sign systems that can be used in finger posts and on walls allow simple, low cost modification and improvement.

They are proving particularly effective at the moment during a time when many sites are undergoing changes to facilities and buildings.

Quality signs for outdoor use are generally bonded to aluminium extrusion, stove enamelled or powder coated, they can be expected to have a life span of 10-15 years, by which time they may well have been replaced as sites change.

Posts and map locators are built from slotted aluminium extrusion and so have no visible fixings; they are smart, clean and hardwearing.

Signs and Labels are the only sign company in the government approved guide and also have extensive experience creating individual signage schemes for private healthcare institutions to reflect their independent status while retaining the essential signage conformity to ensure they are safe and effective.

Initial site visits are not charged; the next step from there is simple advice, or a plan of action, a budget and time scales if required. Request a free brochure from Signs and Labels ...

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HEALTHCARE Signage - Cause For Concern?

Poor signage in a healthcare environment can cause a number of problems, some more serious than others.

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