Wheelchair Lift

Omni Collective member organizations have identified accessibility for persons with disabilities as a priority. To that end, modifications were made to the Omni building during the post-move buildout to improve accessibility, including the addition of a wheelchair lift.

On September 18, 2014 a Mac’s Lift Gate PL-50 was setup at Omni.

Operation

The passenger should be presented with a sign indicating how to call an attendant, and there should be a convenient and discrete way to do so, such as a buzzer or doorbell system.

1. the passenger should move onto the lift platform and, if applicable, lock the brakes on their wheelchair
2. the attendant should verify that the passenger is completely in the lift
3. the attendant should turn the lift key to the on position
4. the attendant should press and hold the appropriate “Up” or “Down” button until the lift stops
5. the attendant should turn the key off

When Idle

• The lift platform should be fully raised when it is not in use. This prevents a distracted person from leaving the ballroom and "walking off a cliff”.
• The key should be turned off when the lift is not in use.

Handling Problems

In the event of a power-loss or equipment failure:

1. Turn the key off
2. Unplug the lift
3. Use the manual hand crank (a small black tool stored in the office) to bring the lift gently to the lowered position. The crank slot is on the side opposite the controls, near the top, under a small, easily-removable black plug. It is vital that you do not use the crank when the lift is plugged-in.

Some General Notes

• This is an attendant-operated system, which means that the passenger cannot operate the lift. The lift controls must be operated by an attendant on the ground.
• This is a portable system, which means that it is not anchored into the ground.
• We plan to replace this system with a more permanent installation in the future, when building modification plans have settled a bit.
• The attendant-operated, portable nature of this lift has important legal, insurance, compliance, and safety implications.
• Our amazing installer is Jerry Lawrence of JT Lawrence & Co.. He can be reached at: (800) 668-9657

Specifications

(copied from the manufacturer’s site)

• Lifting height to 50” (4’2”) maximum
• Lifts up to 750 lbs
• Plugs into and runs on household current (110 volt AC)
• Drive system is [quiet] and virtually maintenance free
• Manual back-up hand crank
• 5 year limited warranty

Manuals

• The owner’s manual is kept in the Omni office. It is also available online (we should mirror this): PL-50 Owner’s Manual
• Detailed PL-50 Specifications