Occupied Wheelchair Operation

Occupied Wheelchair Operation

Acronyms

• PPE - Personal Protective Equipment.

• SOP - Safe Operating Procedure.

Hazards

What can cause harm?

• Work with people

• Moving parts

• Objects on the ground

• Slippery surfaces

• Manual Handling

Personal protective equipment

Pre-operational inspection

Inspect the wheelchair for damage to:

• Seating

• tyres condition and air pressure

• Moving parts and brakes.

Precautions

All operators are trained and competent to operate an occupied wheelchair safely. Operator training should include:

• Workplace induction

• Safe operating procedures

• Nature of hazards

• Fitting of PPE

• Equipment operation

• Manual handling

• Housekeeping

• First Aid

A Risk Assessment is conducted for each client's needs. The risk assessment should consider hazards related to the client i.e:

• Client mobility

• Client size or condition

• Variation in client cooperation

• A client's ability to hear, see and understand may affect their mobility and ability to cooperate