Federal Law
Federal laws prohibit smoking in any hospital or health care facility in an effort to keep the public safe from second hand smoke and any dangerous situations caused by a lit cigarette in an unsafe environment. The American Lung Association reported that accidents are twice as likely to happen in the workplace if the workers are smoking. With evidence like this and many other instances, the federal government attempted to create stable and secure work environments by implementing no smoking laws. Of course, with no smoking laws come no smoking sign laws. Some federal laws state that you cannot smoke within 25 feet of health care facilities or hospitals. In these cases HSI can make no smoking signs that state these instructions specifically. There are two types of signs that you can order to comply with federal regulations and suggestions. The American National Standards Institute, or ANSI, has a set of standards for these signs. These no smoking signs standards involve colors, typefaces, sizes, and other factors. The Occupational Safety and Health Association also releases a set of standards that they expect to be met by hospitals and health care facilities concerning no smoking signs. There is a growing sense of urgency in the fight against smoking within the United States. With the increase in resistance to smoking will come an increase in need for no smoking signs. The federal government can only do so much to keep individuals from harming themselves, but are taking great strides to stop individuals from harming others with their second hand smoke.

State Law
Every state has different specific laws concerning smoking and therefore no smoking signs, but they all seem to have a common goal. The common thread in all of the laws against smoking is they are created to protect those who choose not to partake in this extremely unhealthy activity. For instance, there are laws prohibiting smokers from smoking within 25 feet of an entrance to some facilities, and there are laws banning smoking in any enclosed space in some states. All states are different though, and some states are farther behind in the game than others. States differ greatly in their laws against smoking and many of the laws set in place have many exemptions and loop holes built in. For instance, it is illegal in Tennessee to smoke in any enclosed space, yet you may be permitted to smoke if the institution is serving alcohol and not food in some circumstances. For this reason, it is important to have signs posted in any area that may be questionable. With laws constantly changing and evolving it doesn’t hurt to have a reminder posted that smoking is not allowed in your establishment or facility. The same goes for any area that may be used to store gasses, flammable liquids, flammable materials, etc. The risks and liabilities involved in not making people aware of any no smoking rule can be great, and a simple sign stating that smoking is not acceptable can save you a lot of time and trouble. California Law has some of the harshest laws against smoking. California is also one of the earliest states to implement any laws about where smokers would be allowed to smoke. California law restricts smoking in the workplace as well as public places. No smoking signs are needed to help people understand which areas are restricted and which are not. In California, smoking is prohibited in any enclosed workspace, which includes hospitals and health care facilities. It is also stated in the California legislature that a no smoking sign shall be posted at every entrance to a workplace. These laws were enacted to ensure the safety of other workers and other civilians in a workspace. Especially in a hospital, these laws are extremely important to the safety of others. If for some reason there are certain parts of a facility that you may smoke in, signs should be posted stating that smoking is prohibited expect in designated areas.

Why No Smoking In Hospitals?
Smoking is dangerous in any and every situation. There are literally no circumstances where smoking is good for you or anyone else. There are certain areas where cigarettes are more dangerous than ever, and hospitals are one of those destinations. Throughout a hospital there are numerous rooms filled with flammable gasses, liquids, materials, etc. One person lighting a cigarette could ignite an entire wing or floor of a hospital if they happened to be around any of these substances. These signs attempt to ensure that everyone in or around a hospital is aware of the dangers of smoking. Hospitals are also filled with sick people who sometimes have depleted immune systems or are having trouble breathing. For the safety of these sick people, these signs are placed around the hospital to remind smokers that their habits are not wanted in the building. These signs help keep smoke where it belongs, outside of the hospital or health care facility. Many hospitals do not allow smoking within 25 feet of any entrance to ensure that no smoke so much as enters the building. There’s nothing worse than having to walk through a cloud of smoke on your way into a facility.

Why No Smoking Signs Work
No smoking signs serve as a constant reminder that smoking is not allowed in or around hospitals or health care facilities. It is impossible to miss these bold signs that are placed quite frequently around these buildings. They consist of a lit cigarette, usually dark grey or black, covered by a bold red circle with a bar through it. These signs are very effective simply because they cannot be missed. It’s impossible to be unaware of which areas allow smoking and which do not when these signs are placed effectively and clearly around a structure. No smoking signs also make it easier for other people in the public to police smoking in public places. It’s much easier to ask someone to quit smoking when you can point to a sign and tell them that it is not acceptable to smoke in these areas.

A smaller kind of sign, the warning labels on cigarettes produced and sold in America and around the world, has brought this issue into sharp relief. Research has shown that the warning labels actually work - not only do they discourage smokers from smoking as much, the discourage non-smokers from picking up the habit. These results have inspired regulators to push the limits of the anti-smoking labels even further, and they are now testing even more graphic and extreme warnings. The no smoking signs within the grounds of a hospital or health care facility have a similar effect. While their primary purpose is to keep non-smokers safe, they also have a measurable effect in stopping people from lighting up, even when they want to. There are few things more dangerous in a hospital than second hand smoke and an open flame - make sure that no smoking signs and initiatives are well represented within your hospital or health care facility.

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No smoking signs come in a variety of colors and styles. These signs are usually accompanied by the standard no smoking symbol - a lit cigarette with a circle and dash covering it. Some of these signs have other instructions included in the sign such as no open flame, and oxygen in use. The most popular colors used on these signs are red, black and white although they can be made in any color to match the other signs used in or around a facility. These signs also come with the words ‘no smoking’, ‘no smoking area’, ‘smoking not permitted’, and other variations.

Of course the most common variation of the sign is in red, black and white, with the classic image of the cigarette and the struck-through circle. This is an effective and well understood sign. At Health Care Signs we strive to make the very best of these signs in the industry, as well as the very best of the less traditional versions.

Resources
No smoking signs can be found throughout a hospital in almost every corridor and outside every door. It is very important that people be aware of the dangers of smoking around or inside a hospital or health care facility. Having a sign outside of the doors of the hospital makes sure that everyone knows that smoking is not allowed around or inside the hospital. Aside from the obvious health concerns that are associated with cigarette use, there are other dangers when using cigarettes in hospitals or health care facilities. Hospitals store lots of dangerous chemicals and gasses. One of the most common gasses stored in a hospital is oxygen. It’s important to have no smoking signs posted outside of any rooms or passage ways that contain stored oxygen. Oxygen is an accelerator and if it encounters a flame, such as a cigarette, the situation can escalate quickly.

Laws concerning smoking in public places vary from state to state and even city to city. Different states have different laws about where you can and cannot smoke. Some states allow smoking in public, bars or restaurants. Other states have bans on any public smoking. Depending on your state you may have to increase or decrease your number of no smoking signs. In states where there are no laws, the need for these signs increases. It’s important to make sure that everyone knows where they can and cannot smoke in a dangerous facility. Hospitals are a place to get better, but they can be very dangerous as well. It only takes one lit flame to ignite a tank of oxygen and start a catastrophic fire. Many hospitals across the nation are attempting to band together and create a no smoking law around, in, or near a hospital or health care facility. After all, we all know that cigarettes are bad for you. There is so much evidence and so many facts that show how bad cigarettes are for you that it’s hard to imagine any hospital or health care facility would allow you to smoke in or around it. Unfortunately, these hospitals aren’t really making much headway. Smoking is still allowed in public places in most states, and there’s nothing that public hospitals can do to keep smokers off of the premises. Signs can go a long way in keeping cigarettes out of your facility. Simply placing a no smoking sign at every entrance to the hospital or health care facility can help keep smokers from lighting up around dangerous gasses and keep them from inadvertently effecting all of the people around them.

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There is a large variety of these signs available from HSI. These signs can say no smoking, or have a picture of a  lit cigarette with a red circle with a line through it over the depiction. This red circle with a line through it is a well recognizable symbol for no. Having this on your no smoking signs sends a clear message that smoking is not tolerated or allowed in any particular area. You can also post signs that state that smoking is not allowed within a certain distance from the entrance to the building. For instance, your sign could state that smoking is not allowed within three hundred feet of any entrance to the hospital. These signs are more effective in keeping any second hand smoke out of a hospital. With a building full of sick people, or patients in recovery, keeping second hand smoke out of the building can be very important. These no smoking signs help keep the dangerous toxins associated with second hand smoke out of the facility.

Get the signs you need from Health Care Signs today!