Case Study: Hospital Facilities Manager – Midwestern Regional Medical Center

How a Healthcare Facilities Manager Improved Patient Safety, Staff Efficiency, and Regulatory Compliance with Flex-Safe® Barricades

The Facilities Manager at a large Midwestern Regional Medical Center oversees building systems, maintenance activities, and on-site safety for patients, staff, and visitors.

Flex-Safe® is the first barrier we’ve used that truly works in a hospital. It’s fast, clean, easy to sanitize, and impossible to miss. It protects patients and makes our entire team look more professional.”

Facilities Manager, Midwestern Regional Medical Center

The hospital operates:

Emergency and urgent care
Inpatient and outpatient wings
Diagnostic imaging and surgical areas
Public corridors, waiting rooms, and service hallways
On-campus clinics

Daily operations involve constant movement—patients, families, physicians, maintenance crews, transport staff, environmental services, and contractors.

Maintaining clear, safe, and compliant work areas is essential to reducing risk inside an active healthcare environment.

Challenge

Traditional barrier methods—cones, signs, and caution tape—were creating recurring safety and compliance issues.

1. Patients Walking Into Work Zones

Cones and tape failed to stop confused or distracted patients from entering cleaning, renovation, or maintenance areas.

2. Infection-Control Requirements

Low-quality, hard-to-sanitize barriers created potential contamination concerns.

3. Slow Response During Emergencies

Water leaks, spills, equipment failures, and hallway hazards required immediate closure—but the existing setup took too long.

4. Professional Appearance

Hospital leadership and accreditation inspectors expect a high standard of order, cleanliness, and operational excellence.

5. Frequent Equipment Loss

Cones and temporary signs disappeared or were claimed by other departments.

The Facilities Manager needed a durable, fast-deploying, highly visible barricade built for regulated healthcare environments.

Solution: Flex-Safe® Deployment Across Hospital Operations

The hospital adopted Flex-Safe® Folding Barricades in every building on the medical center campus. They are now used by:

Facilities management
Environmental services
Security
Clinical engineering
Emergency preparedness teams
On-site contractors

Specific Uses

Maintenance and repair in public corridors
Water leaks and floor hazards
Temporary equipment staging areas
Elevator outages
Cleaning and disinfection zones
Restricted access to imaging and procedural rooms
Emergency response and incident containment

Why Flex-Safe® Works in Healthcare

Fast, one-person deployment for emergent hazards
Medical-grade visibility with reflective panels
Clean, professional look meeting patient-facing standards
Easily disinfected surfaces for infection control protocols
Compact storage in closets, supply rooms, and carts
Custom signage for OSHA, HIPAA, and hospital-specific messaging

The team quickly recognized that Flex-Safe® replaced three to five products (cones, stands, tape, signs) with one reliable solution.

Implementation

The Facilities Manager placed Flex-Safe® units in key locations:

Emergency Department & Radiology Corridors

Rapidly block access during equipment breakdowns, biohazard clean-ups, or urgent maintenance.

Main Lobby & High-Traffic Areas

Used during spill response, HVAC outages, and temporary closures.

Patient Wings & Recovery Areas

Provided controlled access for clinical engineering and contractors without disrupting patient flow.

Service and Utility Hallways

Protected staff during ladder work, electrical repair, and ceiling access.

Results

1. Reduced Patient Interference in Work Zones

Incidents of walk-throughs into maintenance and cleaning zones dropped near zero after replacing cones and tape.

2. Faster Emergency Response

Teams estimated a 50–70% reduction in setup time, especially in water/utility failures.

3. Enhanced Regulatory Compliance

Accreditation surveyors and infection control teams specifically noted the improved clarity and consistency of hazard boundaries.

4. Cleaner, More Professional Appearance

Leadership praised the polished look—aligning with the hospital’s patient experience standards.

5. Cost Savings Over Time

Durable Flex-Safe® units replaced disposable tape, damaged cones, and worn signage—reducing replenishment costs.

Improve patient safety and staff efficiency with a hospital-ready barricade system. Request a Flex-Safe® healthcare demo and see how quickly you can upgrade your facility’s hazard control.