AS 3695—1992

Australian Standard ®
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Wheelchairs—Product requirements

[Title allocated by Defence Cataloguing Authority:

WHEELCHAIRS FOLDING, NON-FOLDING]
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee ME/67, Mobility Appliances for
People with Disabilities. It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards
Australia on 18 1992 and published on 10 August 1992.

The following interests are represented on Committee ME/67:

ACROD
Attorney-Generals Department
Australian Association of Occupational Therapists
Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Australia
Confederation of Australian Industry
Crippled Childrens Association of South Australia
Department of Health, New South Wales
Department of Health, Queensland
Department of the Premier and Cabinet, South Australia
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Department of Veterans Affairs

Disability Advisory Council of Australia
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
Flinders University of South Australia
Health Department, Victoria
Institution of Engineers, Australia
Metal Trades Industry Association of Australia
National Committee Independent Living Centres
Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of New South Wales
Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of Victoria
Royal North Shore Hospital
Royal Perth Hospital
Technical Aid to Disabled
University of Adelaide
University of Canberra
University of Melbourne
WorkCover Authority, New South Wales

Additional interest participating in preparation of Standard:

Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of South Australia

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edition, and any
amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australian
Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head office of Standards Australia,
are welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made
without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 90093.

 AS 3695—1992

Australian Standard ®
This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Wheelchairs—Product requirements

First published as AS 3695—1992.

Incorporating:
Amdt 1—1998

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 7589 1
 AS 3695—1992 2

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Mobility Appliances for People with
Disabilities.
The preparation of this Standard has been concomitant with the development by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) of standard test methods for wheelchairs, and their adoption as
Australian Standards.
Involvement in the preparation of International Standards for wheelchairs commenced in 1981, through a
group set up under the direction of the former Medical Standards Board Executive which monitored and
submitted comment on documents issued by ISO/TC 173, Technical Aids for Disabled Persons, Active
participation in the ISO work commenced in 1987 when the Committee on Mobility Appliances for People
with Disabilities was constituted and a Subcommittee was set up to prepare Australian Standards for
wheelchairs. At the same time the Regency Park Centre for Young Disabled, South Australia, set up a
laboratory and a program of testing wheelchairs to the draft ISO Standards. The work carried out at the
Rehabilitation Engineering Division at the Centre has enabled the Committee to make a useful contribution
to the preparation of wheelchair test methods at the international level.
These methods, as and when thought fit, are being adopted as Australian Standards, and they have been
called up in this Standard which sets acceptable performance levels for Australian conditions.
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The Standard requires the manufacturer to provide a specification disclosing information about the
performance of the wheelchair as tested in the most onerous configuration of the range of optional features
offered. Dimensional information to be supplied is required to be the dimensions of the actual wheelchair
or wheelchairs tested.
There are some aspects of wheelchair performance not covered by this Standard that have been identified
as needing some specified levels of performance to be test. Aspects such as operating noise, performance
on a transverse slope, driving wheel contact with an uneven surface, concerning and ground clearance tests
for three-wheeled electric wheelchairs and requirements for the desensitizing of wheelchair controls to
interference by radio frequency transmissions have been identified as requiring ongoing work by the
committee.
No particular sequence in which tests specified in this Standard are to be carried out has been determined,
but a test sequence will be considered if this shown to be of significant importance.

© Copyright STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

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payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the
Standard is amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified.
The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in
commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.
 3 AS 3695—1992

CONTENTS

Page

1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4 MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
7 TESTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
8 MARKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
9 INFORMATIVE LABELLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

APPENDIX
A INFORMATION TO BE DISCLOSED IN MANUFACTURER’S
SPECIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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 AS 3695—1992 4

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Wheelchairs—Product requirements

1 SCOPE This Standard specifies requirements for wheelchairs which are either manually operated or
electrically powered.
NOTE: Electrically powered three-wheeled wheelchairs are included. A future revision may have additional requirements which
apply only to those vehicles.

2 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS The following documents are referred to in this Standard:

AS
1192 Electroplated coatings—Nickel and chromium
1449 Wrought alloy steels—Stainless and heat-resisting steel plate, sheet and strip
1956 Anodic oxidation coatings on aluminium for decorative and automotive applications
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2142 Reflectors for pedal bicycles

3693 Wheelchairs—Nomenclature, terms and definitions
3696 Wheelchairs
3696.1 Part 1: Determination of static stability
3696.2 Part 2: Determination of dynamic stability of electric wheelchairs
3696.3 Part 3: Determination of efficiency of brakes
3696.4 Part 4: Determination of energy consumption of electric wheelchairs
3696.5 Part 5: Determination of overall dimensions, mass and turning space
3696.6 Part 6: Determination of maximum speed, acceleration and retardation of electric
wheelchairs
3696.8(Int) Part 8: Static, impact and fatigue strength tests
3696.9 Part 9: Climatic tests for electric wheelchairs
3696.10 Part 10: Obstacle-climbing ability of electric wheelchairs
3696.14(Int) Part 14: Power and controls—Electric wheelchairs
3744 Furniture—Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture
3744.1 Part 1: Ignition source—Smouldering cigarette
ISO/DIS
7176 Wheelchairs
7176-7 Part 7: Seating dimensions

3 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Standard the definitions given in AS 3693 and those below
apply.
3.1 Wheelchair—a chair with three or more wheels intended for use by people with disabilities.
3.2 Service manual—a technical reference manual normally provided by a manufacturer to a qualified
service facility for purposes of facilitating on-site repairs and maintenance.
3.3 User’s manual—information provided with the wheelchair to inform the user about the assembly,
operation, maintenance, repair and warranty aspects of the wheelchair.
3.4 Shall—indicates that a statement is mandatory.
3.5 Should—indicates a recommendation.
3.6 May—indicates the existence of an option.

4 MATERIALS
4.1 Corrosion All metal parts, including springs, nuts, bolts and washers, shall either be made of
corrosion-resistant material or be protected against corrosion.
4.2 Surface finishes
4.2.1 Stainless steel The surface finish of uncoated stainless steel shall comply with the requirements for
Finish No. 4 of AS 1449.
4.2.2. Electroplated coatings of nickel and chromium Nickel and chromium electroplating shall comply
with the requirements for Service Condition No. 3 (Severe) specified in AS 1192.
4.2.3 Anodized finish Anodized aluminium frames shall be anodized in accordance with the requirements
for Grade 4 (minimum average thickness 10 µm) specified in AS 1956.

COPYRIGHT
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AS 3695-1992, Wheelchairs - Product

requirements
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