Signs in healthcare facilities serve a lot of purposes and wear a lot of hats. But few are more important than safety. HSI has a long history of making excellent, durable, clear and easy to read safety signs, including fire safety signs. One of the primary duties of hospital signs is to warn visitors and patients of possible danger. There are rooms filled with oxygen, rooms with possibly contagious patients, labs with dangerous chemicals, etc. Some of the most important signs in a healthcare facility deal with fire. How to avoid it, where to go if there is one, and how to be safe around flammable material. There are also informational signs, and signs pointing out the locations of fire extinguishers, escape stairs and routes, and what not to do in case of emergency. Fire safety signs are probably the biggest priority when it comes to general hospital safety; they affect everyone, and they have to give very clear, direct messages about what to do in the case of an emergency. When it comes to making fire safety signs, HSI has the experience and the expertise to get it done.

Some of the most effective and necessary signs are the In Case of Fire signs. In Case of Fire signs come in many shapes and sizes, and they deal with a lot of different aspects of the healthcare facility and its layout. HSI has a wide variety of these types of signs, so you can always get the right one for your particular space. One of the most important of these signs is the "Do not use elevator" version.

This sign delineates very clearly, in pictorial and written terms, what not to do in case of fire, and also what to do. It's a simple but comprehensive sign that has saved a lot of lives, even when there was no fire. Just seeing the sign over and over again, in healthcare facilities and buildings across the country, helps people to ingrain the knowledge that in case of a fire, you should never try to use the elevators, and you should always first attempt to use the stairs. The signs communicates this in three ways:

Pictorially. HSI makes several different types of these signs, and they have different styles of pictures as well. In one, a stick figure descends stairs very calmly, with a straight back, and the stairs are somewhat steep. This figure seems more calm, and the stairs don't appear frightening. One very positive effect of this kind of picture is that it inspires calm in the viewer, and hopefully in the person descending stairs during a fire. Other pictures are more vivid. One popular version shows a running stick figure, leaning forward and with arms swinging, at the base of a set of stairs (as if he has already descended and must now run outside). This picture puts a little more urgency into the sign, and lets people know that while calm is a virtue, slowness isn't. Both signs have their strengths, and both give a good message that helps people. And that is what great in case of fire signs do.

Written. The language used in these signs can vary slightly, but the message is generally the same. Fire safety signs shouldn't have too much variation; if they did, their message would be less uniform, concise, and clear. Repetition of the same sign helps viewers and healthcare patrons to remember its lessons. The most common text is "In case of fire use stairs, do not use elevators." This is a simple, helpful, and even life saving text that drills the message into the brains of viewers; always use the stairs, never use the elevators. In case of fire signs always need to use familiar language and get across a familiar point.

Braille. It's important to craft fire safety signs that serve the needs of all users. HSI has the most up to date and advanced braille writing machinery, and we can reproduce perfectly and accurately, and above the minimum height, the ideal braille dot. We write in many kinds of braille, with Grade II being a specialty that not all other sign makers share. In case of fire signs should obviously be available for the perusal of Americans with disabilities, and putting perfect, easy to read braille on the sign is a great step toward making that a reality.