Wheelchair Lifts In Schools: Safety Tips!
With all platform lifts, it is important that the design incorporates features that provide comfort
, safety and security to both the user and property owner. This is particularly important in schools and other environments where there may be children present.
An inquisitive child may find a platform lift an interesting plaything, or even a hiding place. One solution is to fit a simple key switch, which isolates the power to the lift and thus prevents unauthorised people being able to use it. However, this measure does not prevent anyone gaining access to the lift carriage itself.
A more effective system is Designated User Control (DUC). Once the lift has not been used for a preset time, say sixty seconds, it moves away from the landing it was parked at and stops between floors. This activates all the automatic door interlocks, making the unit totally secure. Locks on all landing stations ensure only authorised key holders (e.g. teachers) have access.
Children are also susceptible to falling from a lift or becoming trapped beneath it. Falls from height are the single biggest cause of death in the workplace, and one of the main causes of serious injury. A workplace not only refers to an office or factory, but also shops, leisure centres and schools, many of which have a platform lift installed. It is important to put safety measures in place to prevent falls, particularly in schools and other places where there are likely to be children present.
Generally, platform lifts are installed without shafts if the lift travels less than 2 metres. It is mandatory to protect lifts that travel over 2 metres with a full enclosure, which forms an integral part of the lift installation. This prevents a person falling from it or becoming trapped beneath the unit. In schools, people are smaller and more likely to fall. With this in mind, all lifts in schools feature an enclosure, regardless of their travel distance.
Toggle controls are useful in some situations. They replace the standard push buttons, which operate a lift. This is so that people who have difficulty maintaining pressure on a button, perhaps because of problems with hand movement, can rest their hand on the toggle to control the lift. If lift users are unable to open the doors themselves, powered doors, which some platform lifts feature as standard, are a sensible option.
In the rare event of a power failure that may temporarily cause the lift to stop, which for any person, young or old, could be an uncomfortable experience, there should be an emergency two-way communication system in place. This should include an alarm button and a telephone handset, so assistance can be requested in the event of a problem. Wheelchair users must be able to reach it. In schools, wheelchairs may be lower to the ground and this must be considered.
Manual lowering devices are supplied with all lifts, which enable them to be moved should the power source fail. On mechanically driven lifts, a simple winding handle usually achieves this. On hydraulically operated lifts, such as those with scissor mechanisms, lowering is achieved by opening a simple valve. Optional battery powered lowering is also available on most platform lifts.
Platform lifts should include emergency lighting within the lift, and the appropriate staff within the school should be trained what to do in the event of a power failure. It is important as well that everyone is aware that the platform lift must not be used during an evacuation procedure.
Putting platform lift comfort, safety and security systems in place within schools is especially important because of their unique environment. Such measures give assurance to teachers, parents or other people responsible for young children who require the use of a platform lift, or who may be in the area where a lift is installed.
by:Boyd Porter
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