No handicap person can afford the daunting task of suffering from a substantial fall due to a sudden movement
. Although most individuals are able to sustain these movements while in their wheelchair, a fall of even a few feet can be disastrous, especially if there is no one around to help. With this constant fear in mind, one of the most essential pieces of equipment in any handicap individuals daily routine is their wheelchair lift.
A wheelchair lift is designed to safely move a handicap individual from ground level to an elevated area. Normally these lifts are used for handicap individuals to go up stairs or to enter their handicap van. It is of the utmost importance that wheelchair lifts are properly monitored and maintained. This will minimize the risk to the handicap individual each time they use the lift.
Proper Use is Essential
The first step in ensuring a wheelchair lift is safe is to ensure that the handicap individual knows how to properly use the lift. Many of these lifts are designed to have one touch operation. This means that all a handicap individual needs to do is to enter the ramp and press a button which will cause the wheelchair lift to begin its rise to the elevated destination. However, despite the easy operation, many of these lifts do not have sufficient protection on their sides to allow a handicap individual to simply wheel themselves in and hit the operation button. In many cases there are straps which need to be used to secure the wheelchair to the lift. This will keep the wheelchair from moving and will ensure that the individual is safely seated in their chair while the lift is in motion.
Regular Maintenance is Needed
As with any electronic device, regular maintenance of its parts is essential in ensuring proper function. There are many moving parts contained within a wheelchair lift. As a result, these parts have a tendency to fail.
There is highly skilled repairman available to regularly come and ensure that the lift is working properly. It is important that these checkups are done on a consistent basis, especially when the lift has had high amounts of traffic.
Regardless of what the wheelchair lift is being used for it is important that the lift operates at its fullest and safest capacity. No one deserves to be subjected to an unfortunate accident as the result of a lift that is improperly used or improperly maintained.