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Bus & Coach Buyer article on PAS900

Page 22 Bus & Coach Buyer 25 March 2011

INNOVATION

A new wheelchair 'passport' scheme is being launched across the country, which aims to make travel for wheelchair users easier and safer.

The new Code of Practice is called BSI PAS 900:2010 and was created by a partnership between the British Standards Institution (BSI), Essex and Lincolnshire County Councils and Unwin Safety Systems, in consultation with disabled people and numerous other organisations.

BSI PAS 900:2010 comes at a time of much concern in the accessible transport industry, with cuts in transport funding breeding fears of reduced quality in service for disabled people. The scheme, so its creators believe, can help ensure safety standards are not affected in these harsh economic conditions.

BCB looked into how the code of practice improves accessible services and how far it has currently been rolled out.

21ST CENTURY SYSTEM

The last national code of practice for the transport of people in wheelchairs came out in 1987, but since then there has been extensive developments in wheelchair design and subsequently their restraining needs.

Unwin's Technical Advisor, Bob Appleyard, who initially drafted the scheme, said, 'A lot has changed since 1987. Wheelchairs have got bigger, heavier and more complex, new safety systems have been developed, the number of people using wheelchairs has increased and there are new laws like the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and now the Equalities Act 2010, to comply with.

We needed a 21st century system and, obviously I'm biased, but I think that's what we've now got.' BSI PAS 900 guides a transport provider on how to create a 'passport' to be attached to a wheelchair, which gives essential information for its safe transportation and the welfare of the person sitting in it. It includes specified facts and pictures from wheelchair manufacturers, buyers, users, carers and transport providers.

The document shows what to do to ensure optimum safety in the chair's securement. BSI PAS 900 was made available to the public last July. Bob said, 'The more complex an individual's needs, the greater the passport's value. We're urging local authorities across the country to adopt this new scheme and give wheelchair users the care they need and the freedom they want.'

In support of the scheme, Unwin Safety Systems sell durable, waterproof and functional passport wallets. They come with clear plastic inserts,templates for text and pictures plus a sturdy device for attaching it to a wheelchair.

Puwertec, who are specialist consultants in wheelchair restraint equipment and its use, piloted the introduction of the passport scheme and frequently found, during its operational reviews, that transport providers were not getting the information they needed for restraining wheelchairs and their occupants correctly. For example, a driver might know a minibus can fit three wheelchairs, but might not be aware that some wheelchairs will actually take up two conventional Spaces and therefore the full three cannot be safely carried.

In light of this, the company has tuned the passport system to give vehicle operators all the information they needed. With the experience of delivering this, the company has been deeply involved in the design of the hardware and internal documentation for use in conjuction with BSI PAS 900.

The small Puwertec pouches contain up to eight information cards on the best way to secure the individual wheelchair and restrain the wheelchair user, and are contained in a, durable, protected wallet.

FLURRY OF INTEREST

At the moment, some local authorities and associations run local schemes not recognised by other organisations, which can be confusing and restrict people's access to services.

However,  according to Bob Appleyard, this could be changing, as there has been a surge of interest in BSI PAS 900. He said, ‘over recent weeks, there seems to have been a flurry of interest in it. Some major service providers have been implementing the scheme.'

Some of the transport providers to introduce the scheme, either fully or in part, include: Essex,Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and Oxfordshire County Councils, as well as West Berkshire Council and a school in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, amongst others. One major development is its roll out on TfL's Dial-a-Ride service. This operation has 50,500 members and last year made 1,126,000 trips.

‘It is an ideal scheme for CT operations and anywhere else running wheelchair transport, but needs to be used in a risk managed environment,’said Bob Appleyard.

‘It was not designed for public transport, such as local bus services.’ The reason being that, even though information on how to restrain the wheelchair is provided, the scheme is intended to operate where a risk assessment process has been conducted. Something Bob says is currently not widely in place outside of CT and Social Services type services.

The ultimate goal of those who created BSI PAS 900 is for its implementation across the UK. They believe this would ensure wheelchair users could travel anywhere in the country safe in the knowledge that restraint standards would be the same.

However, Paul Csaszar of Puwertec, said the current austere times mean the roll out of the scheme is being slowed. Paul said, 'If it wasn't for the recession, our equipment and services for the scheme would be flying out the door. Transport managers have said they can see all the benefits and advantages of the scheme, but with all the budget cuts, all measures to implement such schemes are on hold. It's a shame because you can't put a price on people's safety. Rather than waiting for something bad to happen because the wheelchair wasn't secured properly, it would be nice if precautions for it not to happen in the first place were taken. I would like to see authorities and operators become more proactive rather than reactive.'

The introduction of the passport scheme should, according to Bob Appleyard, ensure risks are reduced. As the structure of councils' transport operations is undergoing a lot of change at the moment due to budget cuts, some are contracting CT and other transport operations out. In some cases, the authorities are seeking contractors who will implement and operate BSI PAS 900 systems, as the standard ensures a certain level of risk prevention. It gives them more control over standards even though the day to day running may be out of their hands.

In this way, the scheme aims to ensure that the harsh economic conditions do not negatively impact wheelchair restraint safety. Despite its growing popularity, a trend is emerging where BSI PAS 900 is being taken up more in the south than the north. Bob Appleyard is not quite certain why this is, but he believes it could be due to the greater population density in the south. However, he claims there has been some interest from Yorkshire and Northumberland recently, as well as from Durham. 'Things are moving in the north, just slightly slower,' said Bob.

If a transport operator wants to roll out the scheme, then the first action is to contact Unwin or Puwertec. Both companies will supply all information required to operate a BSI PAS 900 scheme. Puwertec will provide training and guidance to those transport managers looking to install a compliant passport scheme. The cost of implementing the system across an operation depends on how many wheelchair user members the operation has, as well as what training is required. The whole passport scheme is now 'off the shelf', with all necessary documentation and equipment readily available.

Puwertec can be contacted on 0845 0590023.
Unwin can be contacted on 01935 827740.

By Chris Peat, B&C Buyer