Slings Compatibility
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5 Ruse Street Osborne Park Western Australia 6017 Quality Endorsed Company MANUFACTURING PTY LTD www.pelicanmanufacturing.com.au sales@pelicanmanufacturing.com.au Information Sheet: Slings Compatibility Pelican Manufacturing has been making and supplying slings throughout Australia to government and private hospitals, nursing homes and special care organisations for over twenty years. We are constantly working with our customers to make specially designed, one-off slings for disabled people. We provide slings for virtually all brands of hoists, i.e. Metal Hook attachments, Tilt Frame Keyhole Plate attachments, and StandUp Hoists. Our designs include toileting slings, full body slings, slings to be left under patients, and stand-up slings. The weight tests we have completed exceed the Australian Standard 3581. Australian, New Zealand and International Standards Pelican Manufacturing is a Quality Endorsed Company working to: Australian, New Zealand and International Standard AS/NZ ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems This is a Standard with regard to the running of a company, which Pelican has had for over fifteen years. Pelican also do NATA weight testing (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) to exceed the Australian Standard for our slings. All slings made or sold in Australia should be made to: Standard AS 3581 AS 2569.2 AS ISO 10535 Name Mechanical aids for patient lifting and moving – safety requirements Selection and use of mechanical aids for patient lifting and moving Hoists for the transfer of disabled persons – requirements and test methods AS ISO 3581 is based on the British Standard BS3827 from 1979 – Mobility, Manually Operated Patient Lifting Devices. Section 3.2 (b) states that the sling label shall include “the model number or name, of the hoist for which the sling was designed and the safe working load of the sling”. This requirement clearly fails in two areas: 1) It fails to take into account the considerable cost implications for sling manufacturers such as Pelican, to print new labels on expensive, specially designed launderable material, each time a new hoist manufacturer comes into existence. 2) It fails to recognise and allow for companies buying out other companies and the implications for their sling/hoist recommendations. AS 2569.2 does not mention anything about sling labeling. We have been told by Australian Standards that this has been superceded by AS ISO 10535. AS ISO 10535 does not include this requirement under Section 4.11.2 – Marking (for the hoist and body support unit). Section 7.9 – Marking (for the non-rigid body support unit) states that “if the body support unit is designed only to be used on one dedicated type of spreader bar, a marking shall indicate this”. Pelican complies with this requirement. Liability Insurance & Manufacturer’s Responsibility All products made by Pelican Manufacturing are covered in our Product Liability Insurance Policy. Claims by any hoist manufacturer’s representative, stating they would not be responsible if the hoist manufacturer’s sling is not used on their hoist, may be very misleading, or possibly unlawful, implying a restrictive practice. Ask for written confirmation and if this is provided, contact Pelican. Also ask if their slings can be used on other manufacturers’ hoists. The hoist manufacturer could be responsible if there is a fault with their hoist and likewise Pelican Manufacturing could be responsible if there is a manufacturing fault with a Pelican Sling. Definitive Conclusion When the British Standard BS 3827, which Australian Standard AS ISO 3581 is based on, was first made over 30 years ago, possibly firms making hoists also made their own slings. Since then other industrial sewing companies, like Pelican, have designed their own slings to work safely with a variety of different hoists. The Standard needs to recognise this and not allow a restrictive practice to continue for Australian companies. The mention of using the same manufacturer’s sling on the same manufacturer’s hoist is only in the 1988 Standard AS ISO 3581, and is it not referred to in the AS 2569.2 and the more up-to-date ISO 10535 from 2002. With any Australian Standard, it must be remembered that any requirements stated in the Standard are only relevant to satisfying that Standard. They are not law. Any requirements set out by the Australian Government TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) is law. There is no Australian Government or TGA ruling stating that only the hoist manufacturer’s slings must be used on their hoist.

Pelican Notes Imagine if only the hoist manufacturer’s sling could only be used on their own hoists. A hospital or nursing home may have five different brands of hoists. They may need a medium sling for a patient, but the hoist for this sling may be in another section of the hospital. Should the nurse then leave the patient to try to find the correct hoist? On another occasion the medium sling may be in the wash and there may be another sling in the room that is suitable for the patient. Should the nurse use this suitable sling on a different brand of hoist or should they wait for the sling...