Section 10 Medical Laboratory Signage System

　　In the laboratory quality management process, laboratory signage mainly serves the following purposes: division of laboratory functions or area management, guidance, warning or prohibition, prompting, labeling, or explanation.

I. Characteristics of the Signage System

1. Usable

　　Accurate guidance and clear hierarchy; convey specific geographic information using guide maps and route maps, or indicate laboratory room groups using lines, directional guidance signs, and the like.

2. Enduring

　　Appropriately present the hospital's cultural philosophy, using concise text and graphics with the hospital's cultural characteristics to convey information about specific laboratory room groups.

3. Attractive

　　Fully mobilize visual design elements; the design of every sign is carefully refined. The design of a visual image system composed of text, graphics, marks, symbols, and forms is an important part of the overall environment, integrating environmental function and image building into one.

4. Harmonious

　　Fully integrated with the building structure and style—eye-catching but not obtrusive. It must achieve profound meaning, distinct characteristics, an elegant form, a stable structure, and color matching suited to the hospital environment, avoiding banality or generic design.

5. Rational

　　Appropriate materials and refined craftsmanship. Synthetic signage materials include acrylic (PMMA) board, fiberglass, aluminum composite panels, PVC board, polycarbonate (sunshine) board, and fluoropolymer board. Their characteristics are novel individuality, a fashionable feel, simple construction structure, and modest material cost. Since there are many types of synthetic materials with different properties, their characteristics must be understood in detail when selecting, so that materials are chosen and used rationally.

[Figure: Wayfinding sign design drawings, including U-001, a large three-dimensional wayfinding sign with floral decoration showing the hospital floor plan; U-002, a floor-standing display board of the hospital floor plan; V-001, a blue vertical "Intelligent Clinical Laboratory" sign; V-002, a white vertical "Intelligent Clinical Laboratory" sign; and a small brown vertical sign]

Fig. 6-65 Wayfinding Signage

II. Wayfinding Signage

　　The different floor zones of the entire hospital building are distinguished with eye-catching signs to guide patients to their consultations.

[Figure: Banner-style wayfinding sign design drawings; D-001 is a blue banner reading "The Third People's Hospital Intelligent Clinical Laboratory ICLS"; D-002 is a blue banner reading "Intelligent Clinical Laboratory — Intelligence in the Clinical Laboratory ICLS"; D-003 is the same banner in gray]

Fig. 6-66 Wayfinding Signage

III. Zone Signage

　　Offices and the various laboratory testing areas, service function areas, and other functional zones are separated to facilitate management.

[Figure: Zone signage drawing, including T-001–T-005 laboratory medicine center wayfinding signs and floor index signs, listing the emergency laboratory, body fluid room, blood biochemistry room, meeting room, duty room, women's changing room, radioimmunoassay room, storage room, microbiology room, trace elements room, training room, blood bank, blood storage room, clinical laboratory medicine center, etc.]

Fig. 6-67 Zone Signage

IV. Functional Signage

　　The different functional room groups within the medical laboratory are distinguished with clear signs to facilitate internal management of the laboratory.

[Figure: Functional signage drawing, including M-001–M-005 service windows, "Intelligent Laboratory," blood draw window, and "Outpatient Blood Draw (1) Clinic Blood Sample (1)" signs]

Fig. 6-68 Functional Signage

[Figure: Functional signage drawing, including A-004–A-006 "Diagnosis Room" and "Data-processing Room" door signs in rectangular, oval, and blue-stripe styles]

Fig. 6-69 Functional Signage

V. Biohazard Signage

　　Use of biosafety signs. At the entrance of laboratories at Biosafety Level 2 and above, a biohazard sign must be posted in a prominent position, with explanatory notes.

　　The sign should clearly indicate the name of the pathogen handled, the hazard level, the name of the person responsible for preventive measures, and emergency contact information; the internationally recognized biohazard symbol should also be displayed.

　　All containers holding infectious substances must bear a biohazard label in a prominent position on the container surface, marked with the same level as the corresponding biosafety laboratory level.

　　Unify the content and use of the laboratory department's hazard signage system, so that the various hazards present in the laboratory department's environment, equipment, and reagents are clear at a glance, avoiding infection of relevant personnel or contamination of the environment. All laboratory department staff should be familiar with the content and use of hazard signs. The laboratory area is divided strictly according to the project workflow, mainly into the clean zone, semi-contaminated zone, and contaminated zone (the "three zones").

　　The Biohazard Symbol was designed by Charles Baldwin, a retired environmental health engineer. Its colors are vivid yellow (or orange) and black. Once created, the symbol was widely accepted after being adopted by the Centers for Disease Control, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Institutes of Health—hence today's "biohazard symbol." The characteristics set for the symbol were: it must be unique and striking, not easily forgotten; it needed to be memorable yet meaningless in itself, so that its meaning could be taught to people.

[Figure: Styles of biohazard signs and an example posted at a laboratory entrance]

Fig. 6-70 Biohazard Signage

　　The biohazard signs posted at the entrances of biosafety laboratories are generally printed on opaque film-type adhesive material for easy application.

　　In places where radioactive substances are produced, used, stored, or transported, and on transport vehicles, packaging containers, and equipment and devices containing radioactive material, radiation warning signs must be used.

　　Medical institutions shall post conspicuous warning signs on the following equipment and premises:

　　(1) Equipment and containers holding radioisotopes and radioactive waste shall bear the ionizing radiation symbol;

　　(2) Storage premises for radioisotopes and radioactive waste shall bear the ionizing radiation warning sign and necessary explanatory text;

　　(3) The entrances of radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces shall bear the ionizing radiation warning sign;

　　(4) Radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces shall be divided into controlled areas and supervised areas in accordance with relevant standards; at the entrances and exits of controlled areas and at other appropriate positions, ionizing radiation warning signs and working indicator lights shall be provided.

　　Conspicuousness requirements: warning signs shall be conspicuous in the environment where they are placed; placed in easily noticed positions and not obscured by other fixed objects; if needed at night, sufficient lighting or a built-in light source shall be ensured; warning signs shall be visually separated from advertisements—advertisements shall not be mixed with warning signs.

[Figure: Yellow triangular warning sign with black border and the ionizing radiation trefoil]

Fig. 6-71 Radioactive Materials Sign

[Figure: Yellow diamond sign containing the radiation symbol, the words "Class II Radioactive Material," and a red "II"]

Fig. 6-72 Class II Radioactive Material

[Figure: Black skull and crossbones inside a yellow triangle]

Fig. 6-73 Safety Warning Sign

[Figure: Yellow triangle containing a graphic of corrosive liquid dripping onto an object and a hand, with the words "Caution: Corrosion" below]

Fig. 6-74 Corrosion Warning Sign

[Figure: Blue circular mandatory sign with a white head wearing protective goggles, and the Chinese-English words "必须戴防护镜 MUST WEAR PROTECTIVE GOGGLES" below]

Fig. 6-75 Protective Goggles Sign

VI. Promotional Signage

　　Part of the internal cultural development of the medical laboratory, intended to improve the morale of medical technicians and enhance the quality of medical services.

[Figure: Six vertical-format hospital culture posters (two rows of three), featuring images such as a syringe, doctors under a shadowless surgical lamp, a DNA double helix, a heart-shaped green tree, the earth and grassland, with slogans including "Patient-centered, technology at the core," "Strive to reassure and satisfy patients, serve patients wholeheartedly," "Strive to be angels in white, forge the image of our hospital's people"]

Fig. 6-76 Promotional Signage