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SIGNAGE SYSTEMS MANUAL FOR HOSPITALS AND OFFICES .

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Department of Health Republic of the Philippines

The Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Offices is a publication of the Health Finance Development Project of the Department of Health. This publication was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAlD), under the terms of Contract No. 492-0446-C-OO-2114-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAID.

TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHORIZATION MESSAGE FOREWORD PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF FIGURES Chapter

Page No.

PART I SIGNAGE SYSTEMS FOR HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH FACILITIES I.

II.

III.

SIGN SYSTEMS CONCEPT AND USAGE

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Introduction and Objective Concept Functions, Usage and Design Guidelines

"3" 4 7

SIGN SYSTEMS PACKAGE FOR HOSPITALS

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Performance Specifications Sign Location Plans

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IMPLEMENTING PLANS Work Plan Financial Plan

44 57 57 57

PART II SIGNAGE SYSTEMS FOR OFFICES

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SIGN SYSTEMS CONCEPT AND USAGE Introduction and Objective Concept Functions, Usage and Design Guidelines

v.

VI.

63 63 64 67

SIGN SYSTEMS PACKAGE FOR DOH CENTRAL OFFICE

75

Performance Specifications Sign Location Plans

75

IMPLEMENTING PLANS Work Plan Financial Plan

98 105 105

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REFERENCES

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Republic of the Philippines Deportment of Health OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

SAN LAZAROOOUPOUNO RIZALAVENUE.STA.. CRUZ MANIlA, PHIUPPfNES

TELNO. 711-60-60

AUTHORIZATION

May 11, 1994

In accordance with the authority vested on the Secretary of Health, I hereby declare that the instructions in this Sign age Systems Manual for Hospitals and Offices shallgovern the policies, rules and regulations of the Health Infrastructure Service in retained government hospitals until revised and updated by the Department of Health or by law.

AN M. FL

ER, M.D., MPH

Secretar . of Healt h

Republic of the Philippines Depc rtment of Health OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

SAN LAZARO COMPOUND AIZAl AVENUE, STA. CRUZ MANILA, PHIUPPINES

TEL. NO. 711-60-80

MESSAGE April29, 1994 The Health Infrastructure Service of the Department of Health has been tasked to develop an operation manual specifically for DOH hospitals and offices that may be of use to other public and private hospitals. This manual shall serve as a standard reference material for DOH hospitals to aid the public and hospital personnel in hospital information needs and communication requirements. This is an attempt to develop standard and achieve conformity in . ferent hospitals . ./

.-icAs; M.D. Undersecret y on Health Facilities, tandards and Regulations

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE Man i I a

FOREWORD In many of our hospitals, it may be observed that signs are haphazardly placed, and they lack consistency in form and style. This contributes to the confusion of the visiting public. Because of the complex nature of their operation, it is not always easy for hospital administrators to develop a signposting layout which is both effective and simple. In this regard, the Department of Health has come up with a Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Offices. This Manual will help visitors, and patients as well, to orient themselves and understand the spatial layout of the health facility. Certain guidelines are set to be followed to make this Manual easier to interpret. With the application and use of this Manual, visitors and patients alike will have no trouble finding their way around our various health facilities.

THE HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE

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SAN LAZARO COMPOUND. STA. CRUZ. MANILA· TEL. NO. 711-62-94· FAX NO. 711-60-55

PREFACE This Manual is composed of two parts: Part I - Signage Systems for Hospitals and Other Health Facilities, and Part II - Signage Systems for Offices. These two parts are composed primarily of: Chapter I - General Design Guidelines; Chapter II - the Sign Systems Package; and Chapter III Implementing Plans. Briefly, the signage system comprises a selected range of signboards, fixing components, and materials. The signboards, for example, contain signs which are needed to identify destinations and rooms; to warn of hazards; to identify exits and vertical circulation; and to give directions. The guidelines outlined in this Manual will hopefully assist the hospital administrators and physical planners in their quest to provide an attractive and comfortable environment to the public. With the implementation of this Manual, it is hoped that the visiting public, by relying solely on reading signs, would cease to become constant "newcomers" to our hospitals and offices.

THE HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE Department of Health

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks are given to the following: Office for Health Facilities, Standards, and Regulations (DOH) for its vision and leadership in the publication of this Manual; the Health Finance Development Project for providing the funds, and their staff who worked so diligently in helping us polish the final manuscript; the Bureau of Research and Laboratories (DOH) and Radiation Health Service (DOH) for the additional and likewise important information; the Technical Staffof Public Information and Health Education Service (DOH) who shared their expertise in different sign translations; the library staff of the Design Center of the "Philippines for permitting selected materials to be reproduced as. references; and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for the use of their Out-Patient Department Building which served as the take-off model in the development of this Manual.

UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration

Part I Page No.

Part 2 Page No.

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CLASSIFICATION OF SYMBOL-SIGNS Regulation Prohibition Obligation Warning Caution Danger Information First Aid, Emergency, and Fire Protection Miscellaneous

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COLOR Red Green Yellow Blue Black White

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OUTDOOR SIGN LOCATION Identification Direction Orientation/Information Prohibition Official Notices and Other Information

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INDOOR SIGN LOCATION Orientation/Information Direction Identification Prohibition/Regulation Official Notices

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BASIC SIGN TYPES Orientation and Information Directions Identification Prohibition and Warning Official Notices

Illustration

Part I Part 2 Page No. Page No.

TYPICAL ASSEMBLY External Signs Internal Signs

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGN INTENT DRAWINGS Facility Identification Applied to the Facade of the Building Free-standing Parking Lot Identification/Road Directional Sign Parking Lot LD. Parking Lot Direction and Information Emergency Room Out-Patient Department No Blowing of Horns . No Parking No Left Turn No Right Turn No U-turn Two-Way Traffic Turn Left Turn Right No Entry Stop Hospital Hi-way Directional Sign Reserved Parking Personnel Parking Visitors' Parking Facility Directory Orientation/Facility Maps Department Identification/ Corridor Directional Signs Corridor Directional Sign Department Identification Sign Division Identification Room Identification Plaque Room Number Sign Warning/Prohibitory Signs No Smoking Unauthorized Person Keep Out Oxygen In Use, No Smoking No Visitors Allowed No Loitering Silence Please! No Littering' Slippery Floor

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Illustration

Please Fall In Line Sterile Gown Must BeWorn! Surgical Mask Must Be Worn! Biohazard Cancer Hazard Danger Radiation X-ray Room Do Not Enter When The Red Light Is On Electrical Hazard High Voltage FirstAid, Emergency, and Fire Protection Signs First Aid Station Fire Extinguisher Fire Hose Fire Hydrant Rest Rooms Female Male Toilets Signs for the Handicapped The Symbol Of Access There Are Ramps For The Physically Handicapped Special Elevators Are Available Telephones Are Within' Easy Reach Available Parking Facility For The Physically Handicapped Directional Sign Others Taxi Telephone Drinking Fountain Garbage Can Sticker-type Signs And Labels Flammable Liquid Oxidizer Flammable Solid Irritant Corrosive Poison For Official Use Only Limit Calls To Three Minutes Only Turn Off After Use Throw Sanitary Napkins In Trash Can Only Flush After Use Do Not Squat On The Toilet Bowl

Part I Page No.

Part 2 Page No.

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Illustration

Exit/Stairs Signs Stair Directional Sign Illuminated Exit Sign Building Identification/Number Building Identification Building Number Compound Orientation Map/Directory Building Directory Building Map Division Identification SIGN LOCATION PLANS Site Plan Of A Standard IO-bed Hospital Interior Sign Location Plan Of A Standard IO-bed Hospital Site Plan Of A Standard 25-bed Hospital Interior Sign Location Plan Of A Standard 25-bed Hospital Site Plan Of A Standard 100-bed Hospital Interior Sign Location Plan Of A Standard 100-bed Hospital Ground Floor Plan (Hospital Operations and Management Service) Second Floor Plan (Office of the Undersecretary and Bureau of Licensing and Regulation) Third Floor Plan (Health Infrastructure Service)

Part I Part 2 Page No. Page No.

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SIGNAGE SYSTEM.S FOR HOSPITALS ... . AND OTHER . _. : HEALTH FACILITIES-- . •

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PART I SIGNAGE SYSTEMS FOR HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH FACILITIES

SIGN SYSTEM CONCEPT AND USAGE INTRODUCTION AND OBIECTNE OBJECTIVES For the past years, there have been problems in meeting most of the information needs and communication requirements ofvisitors and patients in hospitals. These problems .include: lack of a unifying element in hospitals; . lack of coherence in hospital signage; lack of public information, coordinating mechanisms (or policies), and public awareness; and lack of character in Department of Health hospitals. As a solution to these problems, the DOH came up with a medium called Signage System for all its hospitals and health facilities. The Signage System is being recognized as a new necessity in upgrading DOH hospitals to the desired level of acceptability with the following objectives: to provide the public with "guideposts" to the location of the various services available in the facility; to inform the public and instill awareness of hospital policies, rules. and regulations; to provide a unifying element for all hospitals consisting of aids that promote the orderly How of people; and to provide character to DOH hospitals.

LIMITATIONS This study is limited to the following hospitals: a. lO-Bed Municipal Hospitals b. 25-Bed Secondary District Hospitals c. lOO-Bed Tertiary Provincial Hospitals

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Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Offices

DEFINITION OF TERMS Communication - the art and act of conveying information from one entity to another. b. Signsge - is environmental graphic communication. It is a universal concept and can be applied to any project through a systematic process where the only differences are in the actual end products. c. Signage System - is a discreet graphic system composed of a number of individual graphic devices that are related by common characteristics or properties, and arranged to convey all information considered essential to the optimum operation of a specific building and its occupants.

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CONCEPT FIVE BASIC SIGN TYPES

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ORIENTATION AND INFORMATION These signs provide the user with information about the location of services or departments, and other information of general nature.

DIRECTIONS These are signs which include prominently displayed arrows to direct the user towards roadways, departments, rooms, or facilities.

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IDENTIFICATION These are signs which identify departments, rooms, floors, equipment, or buildings.

PROHIBITION AND WARNING These signs tell the user what he is not allowed to do and what he must be careful of. They are generally expressed in symbols or symbol-signs (symbols combined with words).

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OFFICIAL NOTICES These signs display information of official nature and should not "be confused with orientation signs.

Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and OJ1ices

THE THREE BASIC ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL SIGNAGE SYSTEM. GRAPHIC ELEMENTS These include, but are not limited to, format, color, typography, size, symbols, and lighting requirements. They ensure the optimum legibility and readability of each sign in the system. LEGIBILITY concerns the viewers' physical ability to see a sign and to distinguish letters or colors. READABILITY involves the viewers' ability to perceive a message. Signs must be both legibleand readable to function properly. The choice and arrangement of words to be used in conveying the message of signs is critical and should reflect CLARITY, SIMPLICITY, and FORCEFULNESS.

SEMIOTIC ELEMENTS These are semantics, syntactics, and pragmatics. In the context of signage, SEMANTICS involves the relationship of a visual image to a meaning, SYNTACTICS relates to the relationship of one visual image to another, and PRAGMATICS deals with the relationship of a visual image to the user.

MECHANICAL ELEMENTS These are hardware components which utilize the latest material, fabrication, and installation technologies available. A balanced application of all these elements will result in a "customized" system that will be flexible in use and obtainable within acceptable budgetary considerations.

CLASSIFICATION OF SYMBOL-SIGNS REGULATION PROHIBITION All symbols in this classification denote an order for the prevention of an action (e.g. "No Smoking"). Prohibition symbols shall have a black symbol located inside a white field' circumscribed by a red ring, diagonally bisected at 45 degrees by a red slash. The red slash is interrupted for the black symbol.

OBUGATION All symbols in this classification denote an order for obligatory action (e.g. "STERILE GOWN MUST BE WORN"). Obligatory symbols shall have a white symbol located inside a black disk.

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WARNING CAUTION All symbols in this classification denote the presence of a potential hazard (e.g. "X-Ray RoomDo Not Enter When The Red Light Is On"). Caution symbols shall have a black symbol located inside a solid yellow equilateral triangle.

DANGER All symbols in this classification denote the presence of a definite hazard (e.g. "Danger Radiation"). Danger symbols shall have a white symbol inside a solid red equilateral triangle.

. INFORMATION FIRST AID. EMERGENCY. AND FIRE PROTECTION All symbols in this classification denote first-aidrelated equipment as well as fire protection and emergency equipment (e.g. "First Aid Station" or "Fire Extinguisher" or "Fire Hose"). First-aid and fire protection symbol- signs shall have a white symbol located inside a green square or rectangle.

MISCELLANEOUS All symbols in this classification denote information that is not covered by any other classi fication (e.g, "Toilets"). Miscellaneou s symbol-signs shall have a white symbol located inside a blue square or rectangle. When, for aesthetic reasons only, it is deemed undesirable to have these miscellaneous symbolsigns in blue, they may be produced in any "neutral" color provided: a. The symbol is reversed (in lighter color) from the neutral background.

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Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Otiices

b. The neutral background shall have a tonal value (on the gray scale) of not more than 60% and not less than 40%. This exception applies exclusively to signs in this classification. There is no similar exception to signs in the other classifications.

COLOR Just as each symbol-sign has its distinctive shape, each also has a distinctive color background. Thus, shape and color are utilized to ensure effective communication.

Red for Prohibition/Danger Green for Emergency/First Aid/Fire Protection Yellow for Caution Blue for Miscellaneous Black for Obligation

\ White for Other Classifications Black is used for symbols in prohibition and Caution. White is used for symbols in all other classification.

FUNCTIONS, USAGE AND DESIGN GUIDELINES GENERAL FUNCTIONS 1. Identify a place and indicate whether it is accessible to everyone. 2. Indicate warnings and prohibitions where necessary. 3. Give routing information.

GENERAL USAGE SITE The hospital should be effectively signed. Upon arrival, the visitor shall be guided by means of directional devices containing specific information and arrows.

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Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Oflices

PARKING The parking lot entrance of a hospital shall have doctors', employees', and visitors' parking designations along with the hospital name. Entrances and exits should be identified, with appropriate information for the handicapped. Directions to the visitors' parking area within the hospital premises should be clearly displayed. Other signs include: Level identification Exit directions and identification Traffic regulations Space designations Limited access Special instructions/regulations Handicapped parking identification

BUILDING IDENTIFICATION The hospital shall have an identification sign which should be freestanding or directly applied to the hospital's facade.

HOSPITAL DIRECTORY Visitors will be directed from the parking areas to the hospital entrance(s) or lobbies where the directories are generally located. These directories shall list all hospital departments/services alphabetically, followed by their location in the facility,

ELEVATORS Elevator lobbies on each floor shall include floor identification. Some hospitals may have elevator floor service designations, such as "Express Elevator" or "Floors 1-6." Also located at each elevator service area will be: notices, "In Case Of Fire, Use Exit Stairs" signs, and "Do Not Use Elevator" signs. "No Smoking" signs, capacity signs, and the elevator number, along with an emergency telephone number, will be displayed in elevator cabs.

FLOOR/CORRIDOR IDENTIFICATION There is a need to identify floors at public access points. A plaque or color coding system may be used. Corridor identification may be necessary in facilities where the floor plan is complex.

FLOOR INFORMATION Once the desired floor is reached, the visitor will see the specific floor directory. This shall be located within, or directly adjacent to, the elevator lobby.Visitors arriving at the floor, by means of bridges or secondary access, will also be guided to this directory.

INTERIOR DIRECTIONAL Directional graphic devices shall guide the visitor from the hospital's initial entry point to the building directory. A directional device at each floor directory location shall guide the visitor to the different departments or services in the hospital. 8

Signage Systems Manual for Hospitals and Offices

ROOM NUMBERING SYSTEM Room numbering should be consistent throughout the hospital to promote the orderly flowofvisitors, patients, and employees. Rooms requiring only a number will utilize the "Inventory Room Number" device.

AREA IDENTIFICATION a 0

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