Wheelchair Lift Maintenance
Blogroll No Comments »In the past a stair is a natural enemy for wheelchair users. Thankfully we are now blessed with wheelchair lifts either at home, car or public transportation. An electric wheel chair lift makes it easy for wheelchair bound people getting up and down their home or car with minimal assistance from others. Just like any other equipment a wheelchair lift requires maintenance. And since a wheelchair lift is considered a health /medical equipment a routine maintenance is crucial to make it sure it perform flawlessly.
As wheelchair lift is commonly comes with a manual. You should consult that manual for the required maintenance. The maintenance should be scheduled at intervals according to number of cycles or elapsed time. This will allow you to fix any potentially dangerous situations at once. Here are some common maintenance that you should perform :
- Everyday, before you use it, run the lift through one complete cycle to ensure safe and smooth operation. Also, check the lift’s power source to ensure that adequate power is provided.
- Every two weeks grease the slots and safety barrier latch.
- Oil lightly the whale pins, safety barrier hinge, bridge plate hinge, platform fold bearings and the horseshoe pivot pins once a month.
- Once a year change the pump oil. Also inspect ( and replace if needed ) the cotter pins, weldment lever, whale slots, horseshoe pivot, fold slots, platform fold bearings and power cable.
- Cycle the wheelchair lift. Pay special attention to the wheelchair securement system and how it operates. Double check safety barriers and make sure that they are in place and fully functional.
- Check to see that the wheelchair lift is securely anchored and there are no loose bolts, broken welds, or stress fractures. Remove cover and inspect cylinder, chains, bearings, hoses and wires for wear or damage. See that all bolts are tight and not misaligned.
You really should do these maintenance task routinely since it will reduce unscheduled lift repairs, operation down time, and may increase the life of your handicap wheelchair lift.