Wheelchair and Passenger Restraint Equipment
A straightforward presentation to be viewed at your leisure
Bringing Safety to the Heart of your Business
Puwertec Ltd are unique in that we are the only company supported by major
manufacturers of the above medical device equipment in the UK, providing
maintenance services to this essential safety equipment.
The Question is NOT WHY SHOULD, BUT WHY DON’T Transport Providers have
Wheelchair and Passenger Restraint Equipment Professionally Tested, Serviced and
Maintained and provide detailed assessment information to transport staff with
regard to safely transporting wheelchair users?
.
Services
Formal equipment maintenance and certification
Carried out when vehicles are not in use to avoid disruption to services.
Staff training
Job specific and adaptable to meet the needs of the customer.
Operational review
Reporting on the processes undertaken by contractors and in-house services.
Vehicle standards
Assessing the suitability of vehicles and equipment in use.
Wheelchair Passport Scheme
Ensuring the appropriate wheelchairs are carried and appropriately secured.
Development
Services have been developed with the co-operation, and support of leading
manufacturers, who stress the need for regular equipment maintenance.
Do you have a system in place to formally maintain this equipment ?
To provide our on site services we have been trained in all aspects and operation of
equipment, to identify equipment which presents a risk to staff and service users.
Does your equipment maintenance, meet with current legislation and
follow the manufacturers specifications and recommendations ?
Where an organization operates 25 vehicles transporting 2 wheelchair users to and
from a location each day, annually equipment is utilized to secure wheelchair
dependant users over 25,000 times.
How many wheelchair users do you carry on average each year ?
Development
Each journey presents a risk to both Service Users and Staff if equipment is not
appropriately maintained.
What practicable steps does your organization take to reduce risks ?
An insurer may only pay a proportion on costs if it were found equipment was faulty
due to lack of appropriate maintenance.
Would your insurer accept liability if the lack of training and equipment
maintenance was a contributory factor ?
Each time the passenger lift is used predominately it is for a Wheelchair User to gain
Access/Egress to a Vehicle. Passenger Lifts are Serviced 2 – 3 Times a year.
When was your wheelchair and passenger restraint equipment last
serviced , opposed to informal staff checks ?
Legal
Under the Health & Safety at Work Act, specifically the Provision and Use of
Work Equipment Regulations - An employer must take steps to ensure equipment is
appropriately maintained.
In the event of an accident are you able to provide documentation to the
HSE detailing scheduled formal maintenance of equipment ?
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (HMRA)
“Incidents resulting in death or serious injury to wheelchair users are occurring as a
result of failure to adhere to manufacturers’ user information or from inappropriate
or inadequate maintenance.”
Medical Device Alert (Ref. MDA/2005/002) states that you must ensure that:
Up to date copies of user and maintenance information are available
Policies and procedures are in place to ensure that maintenance is carried out in
line with the manufacturer's information
Legal
Road Traffic Act – Section 40A - A person is guilty of an offence if he uses,
or causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle or trailer on a road when —
(a) the condition of the motor vehicle or trailer, or of its accessories or
equipment, or
(b) the purpose for which it is used, or
(c) the number of passengers carried by it, or the manner in which they are
carried, or
(d) the weight, position or distribution of its load, or the manner in which it is
secured,
is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to
any person.“
Road vehicles (Construction and Use) Act – Regulation 100
This act requires that any equipment or passengers in a vehicle are carried in
such a manor that no danger is likely to be caused to those passengers or to
anyone else. If a wheelchair is not secured it might be held that an offence has
been committed.
Legal
Corporate Manslaughter: New law could become the prosecution
of choice.
“The new Act merely reinforces the obligation on a company to comply with existing
health and safety legislation.”
“The reality is that a jury hearing a corporate manslaughter case will still have to
find that there has been either a gross breach of duty by the company or a senior
manager or “gross negligence manslaughter” for failing to embed a health and
safety culture within its management process.”
Corporate manslaughter “will become the prosecution of choice, with the prospect
of the managing director standing in the witness box alongside the driver.”
Casualty Costs
Road Accidents Great Britain 2000
Casualty Statistics 2002
Slight Injury
Serious Injury
Fatality
Slight Injury
Serious Injury
Fatality
£9,920
£128,650
£1,144,890
£16,750
£168,260
£1,447,490
News Release (27 June 2012)
SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE BOARD FINED AFTER DEATH OF MAY JEAN MORRIS
At Paisley Sheriff Court today, the Scottish Ambulance Service Board (SASB) was fined £55,000 (reduced
from £80,000 on account of the plea) after pleading guilty to a breach of Sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, which led to the death of Mrs May Jean Morris, 78.
The SASB pleaded guilty to failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment for the period between
June 2007 and December 2008 of the risk to the health and safety of members of the public who were in
wheelchairs while being transported in their vehicles.
By failing to provide a wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint system, they also failed to ensure that
Mrs Morris was adequately secured in the Passenger Transport Vehicle. Further, they failed to provide such
information, instruction and supervision as was necessary to ensure that the vehicle was only deployed for
transportation of wheelchair users for which the necessary wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint
systems (WTORs) equipment for their safety was provided.
On 10 December 2008, Mrs. Morris was travelling as a passenger within the Passenger Transport Vehicle.
Although her wheelchair was secured by webbing straps to the floor of the vehicle, Mrs Morris was only
secured by means of a nylon lap belt which was part of her wheelchair. This was contrary to SASB protocol
for the transport of a person while in his or her own wheelchair.
The vehicle was involved in a low speed collision while waiting in a line of traffic in Renfrew Road, Paisley.
As a result of being inadequately secured, Mrs Morris was thrown from her wheelchair and sustained
injuries from which she died 3 days later.
News Release (Cont)
The investigation established that SAS managers knew of the failure to provide and deploy WTORS. The
specification of equipment on the vehicle was below what was required to safely complete the scheduled
days work.
Following the case, Elaine Taylor, Head of the COPFS Health and Safety Division, said: “The Scottish
Ambulance Service Board has today pleaded guilty to a significant breach of their duty not to expose to risk
to their health and safety patients in wheelchairs requiring transport for medical care and hospital
appointments in their vehicles.
“Those in wheelchairs were vulnerable persons who relied on the Scottish Ambulance Service Board to
transport them safely, and yet for almost 18 months there was no safe system to ensure that they were
adequately secured in those wheelchairs while in the vehicles.
“A suitable and sufficient risk assessment should have identified this issue and enabled the SASB to take
steps to put such a system in place. There were also deficiencies in the provision of information and
instruction to staff, and a lack of supervision in relation to inspection and equipment issues.
“The death of Mrs Morris was entirely avoidable and our thoughts today are with her family.”
HSE Inspector Graeme Waller said: "Mrs May Jean Morris died unnecessarily as a result of the Scottish
Ambulance Service failing to assess the risks associated with the transport of patients in wheelchairs.
"This prosecution will draw attention to the importance of assessing and ensuring the health and safety of
vulnerable people during transit as well as ensuring that vehicles used for patient transport are properly
equipped and staff trained in the use of this equipment.“ End
Manufacturer Information
“Unwin Safety Systems strongly believe that regular servicing and
maintenance of safety systems combined with training in the use of these
equipments, is of paramount importance to transport providers, their
staff, their customers and the industry as a whole
“NMI are anxious to stress the need for regular maintenance, inspection
and servicing, as required of the equipment fitted to vehicles and
welcome Puwertec Ltd as the UK provider of formal audit, inspection and
maintenance services.”
Manufacturer Information
“In order to enhance Staff Training and Service Inspection of Q’Straint equipment in
the after-sales arena, Q’Straint Europe has identified and formed a close alliance
with Puwertec Limited.”
“In line with our mutual objective of Leading the World with Safety, Q’Straint
recommends the services of Puwertec to our customers.”
“With safety being our main aim, we believe correct training, regular inspections
and maintenance of our equipment is essential to ensure the required standard of
safety.”
“Koller Engineering Ltd are pleased to have them provide this important after care
service to our customers.”
Contact
If you would like to further discuss the services provided by Puwertec Ltd
or have any further questions please contact us, see below.
Head Office
Paul Csaszar
David Ashford
Email
08450 0590023
(Mobile 07989 948728)
(Mobile 07903 242023)
admin@puwertec.com
Website www.puwertec.com
Registered office: 11 Summerwood Close, Fairwater, Cardiff, CF5 3QS
Company No 5101788 - VAT registration number: 840 5059 44