Wheelchair design and related transport issues
Following is a report by Greg Killeen from the 4th Symposium on Wheelchair Safety and Standards titled "Wheelchair Design and Related Transport Issues" held at Parramatta, Sydney July 21, 2006.
The Symposium was organised by Engineers Australia and had excellent presentations on topical issues with problems identified and solutions discussed.
With a large roll up of stakeholders including consumers, disability organisations, taxi and transport industry, various State government authorities, access consultants, vehicle modifiers, engineers and allied health professionals, I expected the day to provide a good exchange of ideas and attract some strong debate … and I wasn't disappointed!
The symposium mainly focused on the current Australian and international wheelchair standards and the safety of users when travelling in different types of transportation. Aircraft travel was featured with issues of wheelchair stowage, passenger transfers and the number of people with disabilities travelling on one aircraft. Solutions for safe pedestrian access at level rail crossings were discussed due to two wheelchair users being killed in Victoria.
Wheelchair restraint standards
Apart from discussions on various aspects of wheelchair design and strength, there was a focus on wheelchair restraint and seatbelt systems and how they should be used. There was also a recommendation that all wheelchairs be fitted with headrests to prevent whiplash of the passengers neck in the event of an accident.
Wheelchair restraints are required to meet Australian Standard 2942 which requires the restraint systems to hold an 85 kg wheelchair with a 76 kg passenger at 46 km per hour. My research prior the symposium found many popular wheelchairs available in Australia weighed up to 194 kg and recommended users weigh no more than 175 kg. This combined weight is around 200 kg greater than what restraints are required to hold to meet the Australian Standards.
There may be concerns for wheelchair users that the current compliant wheelchair restraints may be inadequate during a vehicle collision. It was also stressed that the restraints attached to the rear of the wheelchair are to be attached in parallel and not crossed diagonally to the floor. The AS 2942 is currently under review but there is no recommendation by the Standards committee to increase the strength of the wheelchair restraints.
The taxi industry and transport industry representatives raised concerns over the design and strength of the various wheelchairs. They were concerned with the lack of, and in some cases non-existent, places on the wheelchairs to attach the wheelchair restraints. They had concern that the taxi or bus driver would be deemed liable in the event of an accident where the point of attachment on a wheelchair failed. They also suggested it might be appropriate for wheelchairs to be 'rated' according to their transportability and carry 'rating' labels.
Qantas
John Cree and Ed McGregor of Qantas presented, "The Challenge of Transporting Chairs in Planes", which addressed many of the current issues. To assist safe transferring of passengers between wheelchair and aeroplane seats Qantas has introduced the Haycomp Eagle Lifter. It was invented by John Cree, Ed McGregor, and William Hay of Haycomp who is manufacturing it in South Australia.
The Eagle Lifter is capable of transferring people up to 200 kg. There are 2 Eagle Lifters in production. They are Eagle 2 and 3. Eagle 2 is used on commercial jets and Eagle 3 is used on commuter aircraft (usually turboprop).
Qantas have taken 38 Eagle 2 and 7 Eagle 3 (for use with small aircraft at major ports) and Qantas has also expressed its intention to roll out the system to its international airports. QantasLink, its regional company, has a proposal to purchase 32 Eagle 3 for its regional airports. There would always be at least one trained Qantas staff member to assist with the transfers.
A recent issue of Accord Magazine, produced by Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, provided information on aircraft travel for people with disabilities and the various aircraft stowage door dimensions and the change in Qantas OH&S policies and procedures. Baggage handlers are unable to lift any item over 8 kg and they will not lay a wheelchair on its side to pass it through the stowage doors. This previous practice was a major issue for aircraft as some wheelchairs carried wet cell batteries that could spill or leak acid.
Recent media reports suggested that Qantas was restricting the number of passengers with physical disabilities to two on any one flight due to issues around emergency evacuation. However, John and Ed provided images within the stowage area showing that the aircraft are only capable of transporting one or two electric wheelchairs.
It was stressed that if there was any damage to the seals around the stowage doors, or the ceiling within the stowage area (which is the outer skin of the aircraft) that could not be easily or quickly repaired, there was a possibility of a major delay or cancellation of the flight.
People travelling with electric wheelchairs were recommended to take the joystick controller off the wheelchair and on board. Airlines have the major concern of the electric wheelchairs accidentally being turned on during the flight with an object pressing against the joystick causing the wheels to continually turn causing friction and the possibility of a fire.
The Eagle Lifter received a prestigious award on Monday, July 17, 2006 at the Aviation Safety Foundation Australasian.
RTA Crash Lab
A visit to the multi-million dollar NSW Roads and Traffic Authority Crash Lab gave an amazing insight into its operations and the impact on vehicles and passengers using the crash test dummies.
Source
Report by Greg Killeen published courtesy of Accord Magazine, the official publication of Spinal Cord Injuries Australia - September 2006
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