Seat Belt SAFETY ALERT
MHRA Medical Device Alert MDA/2008/037
All Posture/Safety belts fitted to seating, stairlifts, hoists and wheelchairs
It has come Minivator’s attention that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a Medical Device Alert regarding the positioning and use of seat belts on a number of assistive aids including stairlifts.
The risk highlighted is that a user may slip, or ‘submarine’ under a seat belt if it is not positioned correctly resulting in a potential injury or fatality. If the user is seated at or around 90° they should be using a belt fixed near to the corner of the seat/base with the belt at approximately 45° to seat base with a snug fit over the pelvis.
This is not the first time concerns about such safety issues have been raised. At Minivator our design team have considered this factor when designing our lifts and as such we are pleased to confirm that all of our stairlifts are designed to allow the correct seat belt positioning as recommend by MHRA. You may wish to satisfy yourself that other suppliers of stairlifts seat belts meet the recommended design.
To view the full alert visit: www.mhra.gov.uk and search the site (top right of webpage) for MDA/2008/037.
The alert was posted on the 5th June 2008.