575 IAC 1-5.5-5 Power lift

Sec. 5. (a) The lifting mechanism must: (1) be able to lift a minimum load of eight hundred (800) pounds; (2) have a battery that, when the bus engine is off, will sustain the electrical demand of the lift through four (4) complete full-load cycles and then restart the bus engine; (3) be located on the right side of the bus body; (4) have manual controls in the event of a power failure; (5) not permit the platform to fall if the power fails while the lift is in operation; (6) have controls that enable the operator to activate the lift while standing on the platform; (7) have a circuit breaker or fuse connecting the lift motor to the power source; and (8) have limit switches or bypass valves to prevent excess pressure from building in the hydraulic system when the platform is upright or extended. (b) The power lift must: (1) have a clear horizontal opening and platform large enough to accommodate a thirty (30) inch wide wheelchair on the bus; (2) be confined within the perimeter of the bus body when not in use; (3) mechanically lock when the lift is in the upright position by means other than a support or lug on the door; (4) move smoothly and rest solidly on the ground; (5) have sides at least one and one-half (11/2) inches high on the platform; (6) be designed to prevent the operator from being entangled in the lift during raising and lowering of the platform; (7) have a skid-resistant platform surface; (8) have a self-adjusting, skid-resistant inclined plate on the outer edge to facilitate movement from the ground to the platform; (9) have a plate or panel on the outer edge to prevent a wheelchair from rolling off when the platform is raised; and (10) have padding on the crossbar on the top of the lift, if the lift is equipped with a crossbar. (c) The power lift may have a handrail.