Standards Development

Scope

This part of PAS 2012 specifies design and manufacturing requirements for a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) of Category M1, in which one or more passengers travel, each seated in a wheelchair weighing up to 200 kg, that is secured in the WAV using four-point strap-type tie-downs.

NOTE 1 In order to develop test procedures and equipment with which to test both the wheelchair tie-down systems and their anchorages in the WAV, it is necessary to decide upon a maximum weight of wheelchair that can reasonably be transported. ISO 10452-1 [5], the standard for wheelchair tie-downs and occupant restraints, initially used an 85 kg surrogate wheelchair to represent a powered wheelchair. Since its publication, powered wheelchairs have become heavier: when PAS 2012 was first published in 2012 some of the heaviest wheelchairs on the market were around 200 kg.

Although theoretically there is no restriction on the weight of a wheelchair that might be carried in a WAV, practical considerations, such as the likelihood of overloading the vehicle or the carrying capacity of the ramps or lifts, as well as the state of the art regarding the tie-down equipment, necessitate the imposition of a practicable maximum. As the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Non-Interoperable Rail System) Regulations 2010 [6], and the European Comission Regulation 1300/2014 [7],both specify ramps with a minimum capacity of 300 kg for rail travel and these ramps need to carry the occupied wheelchair and in most cases, an assistant, PAS 2012 uses 200 kg to represent a practicable maximum weight for an unoccupied powered wheelchair, particularly with the advent of electric base vehicles with lower payloads.

NOTE 2 Some four-point strap-type tie-downs are wheelchair-specific, and are designed to be used with only one particular model of wheelchair. It might not be possible to attach some wheelchair-specific tie-downs to a surrogate wheelchair (SWC) and some wheelchair-specific wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint systems (WTORS) include wheelchair occupant restraint anchorages that attach to the wheelchair itself rather than the WAV structure.

It specifies:

a)    a gauge-based method for measuring the key accessibility dimensions of WAVs capable of transporting occupied wheelchairs ranging from 775 mm to 1 350 mm long, 500 mm to 830 mm wide and 975 mm to 1 550 mm high;

b)    a separate method for measuring the key accessibility dimensions of WAVs capable of transporting occupied wheelchairs in excess of 1 350 mm long, 830 mm wide or 1 550 mm high;

c)     requirements for wheelchair access devices (where fitted), including:

        1)    ramps;

        2)    lifts;

        3)    winches;

d)    requirements for wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint system (WTORS) anchorages for securing wheelchairs ≤200 kg in mass, and wheelchair users, within the WAV, including:

       1)    static and dynamic test methods (either of which can be used), for determining the strength of WTORS anchorages for forward-facing wheelchairs ≤85 kg;

        2)    a dynamic test method for determining the strength of WTORS anchorages for forward-facing wheelchairs >85 kg to ≤200 kg;

e)    requirements for rearward-facing wheelchair installations including:

       1)    static test method for WTORS anchorages;

       2)    static test method for wheelchair occupant head and back support;f)       structural integrity; and

g)    requirements for service elements, for example, a user manual (including WAV technical specification to facilitate direct comparisons between WAVs) and re-call procedures.

It does not specify requirements for securing an occupied wheelchair in the driving position of a WAV.

NOTE 3 The securing of an occupied wheelchair in the driving position of a WAV tends to be a bespoke solution for which appropriate design and test requirements have not yet been fully developed.

It does not specify requirements for securing the wheelchair other than with four-point strap-type tie- downs.

NOTE 4 PAS 2012-1 is limited to four-point strap-type tie-downs due to the lack of technical data to support the drafting of requirements for other, more bespoke types of wheelchair tie-down equipment. However, the general principles of the test annexes might be applied to other types of wheelchair tie-down equipment, subject to it being possible to make appropriate modifications to the SWC.

This part of PAS 2012 does not specify requirements for the retail of WAVs.

NOTE 5 PAS 2012‑2 specifies requirements for the retail of WAVs conforming to PAS 2012-1.

NOTE 6 In cases where items or features fitted to a WAV are optional, the requirements applicable to them only apply where fitted.

This PAS is of use to WAV manufacturers and designers.

This PAS might be of interest to wheelchair manufacturers, regulators, retailers, consumer and public interest groups, health and safety experts, local authorities, fleet owners, mobility charities, accessibility charities, care providers and wheelchair users.