Safety warnings and user tips
Safety is very important with any vehicle that is power driven,
here are some helpful tips to safeguard your use.
WARNING: Refers to a hazard or unsafe practice that may
cause severe injury or death to you or to other persons.
a General
• Always ensure that your wheelchair is switched off before
attempting to mount or dismount.
• Always ensure that you are able to operate all controls from
a comfortable position. Paying attention to your posture is
essential to ensure your continued comfort and well being.
• Always make sure that you can be seen clearly, especially if
you intend using your wheelchair in poor light. (Ensure your
lights & reflectors are clean and in good working order)
a Kerbs
• Never descend a kerb Forwards. Please read carefully the
section on kerb climbing in this manual before attempting to
mount and dismount any kerbs in your wheelchair.
• Do not attempt to climb or dismount a series of steps. It is
unsafe to do so and could cause personal injury or damage the
chair. The SAMBA has only been designed to climb a single
step or kerb.
a Routine service
Like most things in life a little care and attention makes a big diffe-
rence and your chair is no exception. The recommended service
interval is one year. (See service history on page 21).
a Emergency freewheel
Please remember that you have no braking facility when the free-
wheel lever is moved from the normal drive position to the free-
wheel position. Never disengage the freewheel when on a slope.
The wheelchair must never be left with the lever in the freewheel
position. For an enhanced description of this facility and its limita-
tions to use please see later section.
a Emergency braking
The simplest and safest way to stop the wheelchair is to release
the joystick control lever (see Control pod section). This will bring
the chair to a halt in a controlled manner.
Switching the control system off whilst the chair is in motion will
also bring the chair to a halt. This latter method is not recommen-
ded as the stopping action is very abrupt.
a Sharp turns
Full speed turns should not be attempted. If you need to turn
sharply you must reduce your speed with the joystick or speed
setting. This is particularly important when travelling across or
down a slope. Disregarding this advice could lead to your
wheelchair tipping over.
a Batteries
Your wheelchair is supplied as standard from Sunrise Medical with
maintenance-free batteries. These only require regular charging.
• Do not, under any circumstances, tamper with the batteries. If
in any doubt contact your local service agent.
• Do not connect the battery charger to the mains supply after
you have connected the charger to the wheelchair. Before char-
ging, please read the relevant section in this manual. Take care
with acid on wet batteries or damaged sealed type batte-
ries, which is very dangerous. It can cause burns to the skin
as well as damage to floors, furniture and your wheelchair. If it
comes into contact with the skin or clothing, wash immediately
with soap and water. If it comes into contact with the eye,
immediately flood the eye with running cold water for at least 10
minutes and seek medical attention immediately. Acid can be
neutralised with baking soda and water. Take care to keep
batteries upright at all times, especially when transporting your
wheelchair.
Rev.A 0807/2000/ST/000690635.EMS
Battery and charger type:
24V (2x12V) / 50 Ah/5h. Maintenance free
Dimensions: 238x140x235 mm.
24V (2x12V) / 60 Ah/5h. Maintenance free
Dimensions: 259x169x178 mm.
Connector: 3 pins "Cannon " type
Note: Before using your vehicle for the very first time, please
charge your batteries for a period of 24 hours.
a Tyres
Your wheelchair tyres can wear depending on use. Check them
regularly in accordance with the service instructions in this manual,
especially the pressure of the tyres.
NEVER inflate the tyres using a garage forecourt airline,
always use the pump provided.
a Cleaning seating
This is important should the wheelchair be used by more than one
person to ensure there is no cross infection. You can wash all parts
with warm soapy water.
a Cleaning controls
Should the control of your wheelchair become soiled or dirty, it can
be wiped with a damp cloth with a dilute disinfectant until clean.
This is important should the wheelchair be used by more than one
person to ensure there is no cross infection.
a Wheelchair motors
After prolonged use, the motors will produce heat which is radiated
through the motor's outer casing. Do not touch the motor's outer
casing for at least 30 minutes after using the wheelchair, to allow it
to cool.
a Wheelchair range
The range of your wheelchair can be affected by many factors
such as user weight, terrain, ambient temperature, use of powered
options and battery condition. The stated range in the sales litera-
ture should be seen as the theoretical maximum (ISO 7176; Part 4)
and may not be attained by every user.
We recommend that every user initially limit their journey to half the
stated range, until they have confidence in the actual range their
wheelchair can attain. If your battery indicator is showing a low
charge then do not attempt a long journey unless you are confident
in reaching your destination and also returning to your home with-
out the risk of being left stranded.
a Use on a slope
Your wheelchair has been designed and tested to allow its use on
slopes or gradients of up to 10° (18%). However, you have the
option of adjusting the angle of seating with either tilt seat or
recline back, then in certain circumstances your wheelchair could
become unstable.
Before attempting to climb or decline a slope, we strongly recom-
mend that you return the seat and back to an upright position.
Failure to do this may cause the wheelchair to become unstable.
If you are in any doubt about the capabilities of your wheelchair on
a slope then do not attempt to drive up or down the slope, try to
find an alternative route.
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SAMBA