Wheelchair safety call
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WHEELCHAIR safety in passenger vehicles requires more attention, according to a study by the Federation of London Dial-a-Rides.
The paper looks in detail at the responsibilities, hazards, and potential hazards in carrying wheelchair passengers. It outlines obstacles facing operators that have to contend with confusion, official penny-pinching and a lack of standard practices in carrying such passengers. For example, MIRA test,., on wheelchair safety in large passenger vehicles carried out for the Department of Health and Social Security were never published.
It says that new thinking on the subject is hidden away in the British Standards Institution or the international Standards Organisation instead of being out in the open where people with disabilities can discuss it It says that the industry is not doing enough to protect passengers.
It sets out a list of steps operators should take to review current standards and suggests an up-date for the Code of Practice for PSV adapted to carry passengers in wheelchairs.
The paper includes a guide to safety including a list of equipment available, vehicle and staff requirements and suggested emergency procedures and precautions.
Clamping DOWli on Wheelchair Safety In Passenger Vehicles by Martin Bould is publisl,ed by Foldar at St Margaret's, 25 Leighton
London NW5 2QI).