Hospital Line Marking That Keeps Patients Safe

Ambulance bays need specific dimensions and clear identification. We mark them at minimum 3.5m width (versus 2.4m standard bays) to accommodate ambulance gurney access. They're typically 6-7m long to fit the vehicle plus rear door clearance. We use high-visibility yellow or red diagonal hatching inside the bay, "AMBULANCE ONLY" text in large letters, and ensure the bay is on level ground near emergency department entries. These bays must remain completely clear 24/7, so we often add bollards or chains at the ends.

Yes, but it requires careful coordination. We've completed projects at major metropolitan hospitals without disrupting ambulance access or patient care. The process: we meet with your facilities manager to identify critical access routes that can never be blocked, plan work in sections so ambulances always have clear paths to emergency departments, and maintain communication with security throughout the night. A hospital in Dandenong South had us mark 340 bays over five nights. We sectioned the work so emergency vehicle access was never compromised and visitors arriving early morning had immediate parking access.

AS/NZS 2890.6 specifies different ratios for medical facilities than standard car parks. For the first 500 bays, you need 1 accessible bay per 10 standard bays (10% ratio). That's significantly higher than retail (roughly 2-3% ratio). For bays 501-1000, you need 1 accessible bay per 25 standard bays. So a 300-bay hospital car park needs approximately 30 accessible bays, not the 4-6 required for a similar-sized shopping centre. We'll calculate exact requirements based on your total capacity and current layout.

There's no dedicated Australian standard, but best practice combines AS/NZS 2890.1 with AS/NZS 1428.1 accessibility requirements. Drop-off zones should be: level surface (maximum 1:40 gradient), minimum 3.0m width to allow wheelchair deployment, adequate length for 4-6 vehicles to queue, clearly marked "Drop Off Only" or "No Parking" zones with time limits (usually "2 Minutes" or "5 Minutes"), and direct accessible path to building entry without crossing vehicle traffic. We mark these with yellow edge lines, diagonal hatching in the centre, and clear text.

It depends entirely on materials and location. Standard road paint in high-traffic entry zones lasts 12-18 months maximum under constant hospital traffic. Thermoplastic in those same zones lasts 6-8 years. We learned this at a medical centre in Moorabbin. Initial paint job needed repainting within 16 months because ambulances, delivery trucks, and constant patient traffic wore it down. We switched to thermoplastic for high-traffic zones and standard paint for quieter sections (staff parking at the back). Five years later, the thermoplastic zones still look excellent while we've repainted the standard paint areas twice.

Usually yes. Many hospitals were built before current accessibility standards and have insufficient accessible parking. We can often convert standard bays near entries into compliant accessible bays by widening them from 2.4m to 3.2m and adding proper access aisles. This might reduce your total bay count slightly (3 standard bays might become 2 accessible bays), but it achieves compliance without expensive structural changes. We assess your current layout, identify bays closest to accessible entries, and provide options that meet AS/NZS 2890.6 without major redesign costs.