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mardi 22 avril 2014

Good Wheelchair Ramp Construction Ensures Safety

By Essie Osborn


Increased medical expertise in modern times has also led to large numbers of people who might have died but instead are confined to wheelchairs. This has seen the advent of legislation to provide ramps in buildings to make wheelchair access easier. Private homes might also need such a facility, and details of wheelchair ramp construction would be very useful to many people.

The size of a ramp would depend on your particular requirements and the site where any ramps are to be installed. These ramps take up more floor space than stairs of an equivalent width, as they have a more gradual slope. Before you decide on a site, you would need to take these factors into consideration, remembering that it is better to provide more than the absolute minimum space.

One option is to have the ramp constructed professionally and leave it in expert hands. You can then be certain that it meets the various standards for safe wheelchair access and that construction is to the required standard. Meeting safety standards is important, as you may well be regarded as negligent if the specification is inadequate and someone is injured as a result.

If you wish to undertake construction yourself, there are plans with full construction details available online. These plans are designed to provide the necessary safety measures and a sufficiently gradual slope. If you follow this route, do not increase the slope as this will make it much more difficult and dangerous for wheelchairs to ascend, and you will probably not receive planning permission nor pass inspections..

An easy option for home use is to install one of the excellent modular ramps which can be bought online. These sturdy ramps are designed to meet all the requirements and are extremely simple to set up, with legs which are adjustable to fit most sites. These can easily be moved to another house if you are wish to relocate to another home.

Should you decide to do the work yourself, you must be sure your design is completely satisfactory. While you should be able to adapt the designs available on the Internet to meet your needs, you might have certain difficulties due to the placement of the ramp which may be difficult to resolve. At this stage you might like to consider adding handrails for children as well as adults for increased safety.

An important aspect to consider is what planning permission will be needed. While the ADA website gives excellent specifications, you want to be sure that your design will be acceptable to your local authorities. You should be particularly careful to use the right materials and provide enough landing space, if need be. If you are in any doubt, your local authorities will probably be able to assist.

Wheelchair ramps are becoming mandatory in buildings open to public access, but is also a good idea to fit them in homes, even if only for ground-floor access. They are much safer than stairs as they have fewer edges to cause serious injuries and descent is more controlled. Stairs are frequently the cause of very serious injuries at home, and replacing some of them will help make your home less hazardous.




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