ANY CARRY-CHAIR USER OUT THERE?

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melianeb

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Hi everyone,

I'm currently working on a project for my master's in mechanical engineering, focusing on improving the carry-chair. Many EMS professionals seem dissatisfied with the current designs, and I'm particularly interested in hearing about your experiences and recommendations for enhancements. For your information, I am working on the Stryker model.

What are the main issues you encounter with the current carry-chair designs? Any specific features or improvements you would like to see? Your feedback will be invaluable in helping me create a better, more efficient product that meets the needs of EMS workers.

Thank you in advance for your insights!

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Moved to appropriate forum
 
I started back in the day before we had treads... some chairs didn't even have wheels. When I say the tread design was a game changer and a back saver, I'm not exaggerating.

As for what I don't like about it, at least compared to other models:
1) it's heavy, at least compared to the older style. with a two person crew, carrying it, along with all of the other equipment, you run out of hands quickly. If you can cut the weight, while maintaining the strength, it would be awesome.
2) It's difficult to use on narrow landings with 45 & 90 degree turns, due to the lower arms. Or unstable / uneven steps.
3) the treads are great for going down, not so much going up (ie, moving someone out of a basement and to the first floor).

When I worked urban EMS full time, my truck ALWAYS had two chairs; the one with treads and the other style. for some of our houses, the smaller chairs maneuvered better, with the tradeoff being providers were carrying all of the weight. I can recall one particular house where we were in a backup truck, and had to call another unit to bring us the smaller chair to carry out the patient.

But overall, I wouldn't say anyone is dissatisfied with the chair, at least not any more than over worked and underpaid people are dissatisfied with things in general.
 
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All the way up/down by hand
Piggybag if no chair

I have never seen this other than in vids:

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I'm writing from Spain, also a registeed PHECC (Ireland) EMT but things are so different here.
(No register of any kind in Spain, no PIN code, no CPC, nothing.)

I've worked in 3 private ambulance services in Spain.
I have worked shoulder to shoulder with many others in the streets/hospitals aswell here.
Nobody, but I mean nobody has ever seen this here in Spain:

1718989126528.png


This simply does not exist in Spain and will prolly never exist.

We have 30-40 years on the job veterans with back problems everywhere.

Oh and the stretchers must be pushed in/pulled out manually.
(We try to help each other by one pushing the strecher in and the other pulling it from inside)

1718989290832.png



This a pic I took back when I started working for the first time ever.
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DrParasite said:
please tell me you are joking... I hope you are joking...

time to find a new employer, one that actually cares about their staff... that chair is awesome, and has saved my former employers thousands in back injuries and workman's comp claims.
Click to expand...
And about the piggybag thing, definitely not a joke. But very rarely seen.

Look at his back

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We are also fined for speeding and cannot go beyond speed limit when responding code 3.
The employer has to pay it but usually we are forced to pay it. That's why the employer sends us all a WhatsApp msg/email containing a PDF showing the radar locations in the city to prevent this from happening.

I can try to find that PDF lol
 
Alex112 said:
And about the piggybag thing, definitely not a joke. But very rarely seen.
Click to expand...
disturbing is an understatement... but different places operate differently I guess. don't get me wrong, I've carried kids in my arms, but a piggy back ride is where I would draw the line. I guess Spain would not be for me

Alex112 said:
Oh and the stretchers must be pushed in/pulled out manually.
(We try to help each other by one pushing the strecher in and the other pulling it from inside

Look at his back

View attachment 5786
Click to expand...
I see poor body mechanics more than anything, and working harder, not smarter. You work in teams of 2; so there should be two people lifting the cot. two people can lift the front to get it over the hook, and then both people lifting it in. No need to have someone pull, esp since there are mechanical solutions that have been around for decades... we used something similar to the Ferno Stat Trac almost 25 years ago.
Alex112 said:
We are also fined for speeding and cannot go beyond speed limit when responding code 3.
The employer has to pay it but usually we are forced to pay it.
Click to expand...
I mean, it's illegal to speed, even with responding code 3; if your laws don't say you exceed the speed limit don't... We used to have the same rule when I was on the ambulance.

regardless, protect your back, and stay safe out there
 
DrParasite said:
disturbing is an understatement... but different places operate differently I guess. don't get me wrong, I've carried kids in my arms, but a piggy back ride is where I would draw the line. I guess Spain would not be for me


I see poor body mechanics more than anything, and working harder, not smarter. You work in teams of 2; so there should be two people lifting the cot. two people can lift the front to get it over the hook, and then both people lifting it in. No need to have someone pull, esp since there are mechanical solutions that have been around for decades... we used something similar to the Ferno Stat Trac almost 25 years ago.

I mean, it's illegal to speed, even with responding code 3; if your laws don't say you exceed the speed limit don't... We used to have the same rule when I was on the ambulance.

regardless, protect your back, and stay safe out there
Click to expand...
Piggy back*
 
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