MAO Manual

Loading the Patient Manufacturing, installation, and operating specifications for lifts made are established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some lifts currently in use are older than when the last regulations went into effect in 2004. Using the methods described in this manual along with the lift-specific training by your employer will minimize risk to both the MAVO and the patient. Turn off the engine and make sure you engage the vehicle parking brake before deploying the lift. Confirm that the area where the lift will be deployed is clear of obstacles and provides sufficient space. Ideally, the lift will be deployed onto level ground. If this is not the case, use extra caution to position the patient on the lift and when moving the patient on and off the lift. When deploying the lift, stand clear and unfold it then lower it to the ground according to your lift manufacturer’s directions. When you do this, the end of the lift will automatically lower to the ground. This end is called a roll stop or outboard barrier . When the lift is raised off the ground, the outboard barrier comes up to prevent the patient from rolling off the end of the lift when in motion. The outboard barrier is meant to stop the small wheelchair wheel, not the large one. In fact the large wheel on a wheelchair, if moving with enough speed can stop abruptly and toss the patient over the outboard barrier. As a result, you should never load the patient on a wheelchair lift facing inward. At the end of the lift closest to the vehicle there is a bridgeplate or inboard barrier . It does exactly what this implies. It bridges between the vehicle and the lift, giving the wheelchair a surface to roll across when going into or out of the van. You may see two types: one is attached to the vehicle, the other is attached to the lift.

All hydraulic lifts have some type of manual back-up device. If the lift fails, there is a manual system allowing the MAVO to raise or lower the lift by hand. Most utilize the hand pump method. There should be a handle along with a place to insert the hand pump. To lower the lift manually, turn the handle to release the hydraulic pressure valve allowing gravity to take over. To raise the lift, crank the handle, like a jack.

The manual back-up procedure is to be used in an immediate situation until repairs can be made. This method is available to allow the MAVO to get their patient either in or out of the vehicle as a last resort until help arrives. The manual procedure should never be used as the normal means of loading and unloading patients. If your MAV lift does not seem to work appropriately, check the following: - Is the engine running? There may not be enough power in the battery to work the lift. - Is the parking break on? In many vans, the lift will only work if the parking break is on? - Is there a lift belt that is not buckled? Some lifts will not raise or lower unless the belt on the wheelchair lift is buckled. Make sure your trainer shows you how to manually load and unload a patient as recommended by the manufacturer of the lifts used by your company. This manual procedure should not be confused with a manual ramp. Some vehicles are still equipped with manual ramps which unfold by hand. If your company still uses manual ramps, your instructor or employer will show you the correct and safe use of the ramp.