5 Ruse Street Osborne Park Western Australia 6017 Quality Endorsed Company Information Sheet – Slide Boards With regard to weight limits of Slide Boards, this is an area where the ability and strength of the patient and Carer is important. The strength of the material is largely irrelevant because: 1) 2) As opposed to say a lifting sling, the slide board will never be taking someone’s full weight The material’s strength will far outweigh the strength of the Carer In use, Slide Boards do not take the full weight of a person. They are designed to be supported underneath, for example by a bed, wheelchair, or car seat. The gap between the two surfaces the person is moving to and from, should be kept to an absolute minimum. The smaller the gap, the more support and the stability the board has, and the safer the transfer. As a general rule, only one third of the Slide Board should be unsupported, however, this may be overruled by your Workplace Health & Safety Officer. Depending on the person using the Slide Board, a Carer may or may not be required to assist in the transfer. The strength and ability of the Carer will be important, and we recommend for Carers to practice any new Manual Handling transfers with an able bodied person first, so that they are familiar with how the person’s weight moves. Wooden Slide Boards are still in existence, but are generally being phased out. Plastic slide boards have some important advantages over the wooden types: Plastic Slide Boards Cannot be affected by humidity Cannot be affected by water Certain plastic cannot snap, but will bend 180° The plastic keeps its shape Wooden Slide Boards Can be affected by moisture in the air, eg humidity Can be affected by water, eg rain. Can snap without warning Can splinter at the edges All Slides Boards have some degree of flexibility. This flexibility can differ depending on the patient’s requirements. More flexibility is generally required when going from one height to another. The flexibility has to be taken into account for the slide board’s designed use, as too much flex may be dangerous. Some plastics used for Slide Boards should not snap and break. Some are designed to bend back on themselves 180°. Pelican has tested this in-house. The boards can then be bent back the other way and end up almost straight again where the bend was. Some Pelican Slide Boards use a white material which is normally used out of sight in construction. The advantage of this material is that it is self-lubricating. The disadvantage is it can be marked easily, and a brand new product can look second hand. However we feel the advantage outweighs the disadvantage, as slide boards can look used very quickly after being put into use. Pelican has a variety of Slide Boards for sitting and lying down transfers. Special sizes can be made on request. Trolley with Hand Slots Boomerang – Flat Bottom Trolley with Hand Slots - Long Key points: Keep the ‘gap’ as small as possible Keep the Slide Board on the bed/chair/wheelchair etc. as much as possible so that it is supported Use a carer to assist where necessary S:\Restored\Docs\aacOther People's Documents\Tom\Information Sheets\Information Sheet – Slide Boards