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Posted By Mark Eastbourne
On the fifth floor of the tower block in our campus there is a restaurant which the public can use.
The lift to this floor has unfortunately broken and is currently being fixed. In the meantime I have just been informed that our caretakers have just carried a wheel chair bound member of the public up to the restaurant (there is another lift which goes up to 4th floor by the way).
Apparently my predecessor stated that this should not happen.
Is it because of the possibility of harm of manual handling to the caretakers and the member of the public or is there a specific legislative requirement which comes into effect?
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Posted By Joe Doc
I was just about to start spouting out regs that support not doing this, but I managed to stop myself just in time.
Remember our new improved era, sensible risk assessment and safety management, forget the regs does this even seem sensible to you??
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Mark Eastbourne
You are of course correct. My reasoning is that a wheelchair was not made for lifting but rolling, however one would assume it's structure would be stable but again our guys are not competent enough to check wheelchair stability but with two of them carrying the wheelchair could it be done, but then it would rely on the load - how heavy is the person...
The answer to me is obviously no when I witter away at it like this...
One more thing, one of the caretakers was saying that social services are not allowed to lift disabled persons so why should they do it? Is this correct?
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Crim
Wheelchairs are not designed to be carried with a person on board. Some are, however, designed to come apart easily so that a disabled user can stow it in a vehicle etc.
Beware of the handles, arms and wheels coming off and also don't forget the person who could fall out. If a seat belt is used it is only designed to restrain a person in the chair, not to prevent a fall from height.
Social Services and NHS personnel would only lift a disabled peron using a sling/harness or if a proper risk assessment has been made and there are ample persons trained in lifting disabled persons.
How do I know all this - because my daughter is a wheelchair user and I've been here before!
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Posted By jackw.
Social services not allowed to lift a wheel chair??? I would hope not..you any idea the load of a chair and a person? How you going to get them out in an emergency situation?
Have you tried a risk assessment? Suggestion..no lift no access for disabled.. re above you should already have a plan in place to get disabled staff, visitors etc. out in an emergancy.. EVAC chair might be a place to start.
hmmm gone off on one.. just cant believe you expect staff to hump this load up and presumably back down stairs.. or is this a wind up????
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Posted By ITK CMIOSH
Find them somewhere to sit on the ground floor and take the meal to them.
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Posted By John_72
in addition to the manual handling issues don't forget that in the event of an emergency these individuals would have to be evacuated, which raises a whole set of other issues.
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Crim
This points toward lack of staff training in risk assessment.
The caretakers will have obviously meant well and thought they were doing a good turn by assisting someone upstairs to the canteen. Otherwise the wheelchair user may have missed a meal. However all employees must be trained to think before they act and to ask for the relevant risk assessment.
The caretakers should not be criticised but their supervisors should be.
This type of incident happens in all industries when something out of the ordinary crops up.
Who would be criticised if one of them had been injured?
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