Utilizing Signage to Reduce Capital Supply Waste: A Quality Improvement Project

In collegiate athletics there are a lot of athletes that utilize the athletic training room and the equipment it offers. The hydrocollator and the clay hot packs are a piece of equipment frequently used by these athletes throughout the day. The athletes are responsible for retrieving the hot packs and returning them to the hydrocollator. When the hot packs are hung incorrectly, they fall to the bottom of the hydrocollator and are unable to be reached by the tongs available. This causes the hot packs to not be available for use and increase the risk of a hot pack getting stuck on the heating coils and breaking the hydrocollator. Signage was implemented to increase the number of hot packs hung correctly and decrease supply waste. Data was collected at the end of the day before and after the implementation of the sign. The sign increased the number of hot packs hung correctly as well as improved organization within the hydrocollator. This improvement is likely to decrease the number of hot packs broken as well as decreasing the risk of the hydrocollator being broken. The use of this instructional signage was proven useful for educating athletes how to properly hang their hot packs within the hydrocollator. This increases the longevity of the equipment and decreases the amount of money that needs to be spent on this equipment.