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Updated at 9.30pm
THE DEFENCE FORCES has confirmed custom-built ambulances costing close to a million euro will need to be modified further after a health and safety audit raised concerns over the vehicles..
A temporary solution was found to the problem of crew members having difficult lifting patients into the vehicle under certain circumstances, but a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said this afternoon that a new stretcher system will need to be installed.
Over the course of 2012 and 2013, a total of six Iveco ambulances were bought by the army following a tendering process costing €148,000 each.
RTÉ News revealed in April health and safety inspectors had found issues with the jeeps.
The jeeps are higher than normal ambulances as they are capable of going offroad, and so crew members found difficulty in lifting stretches in and out without a full team.
In a parliamentary question, Minister for Defence Simon Coveney said that while four crew members were required for off-road operations, just two had been used in “normal on-road scenarios and with the normal medical crew of two people”.
This is where the health and safety issue arose.
“The crew of two people had difficulty lifting the stretcher into the ambulance,” he told Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.
As a stopgap, the ambulances will now be staffed by four crew members in all situations:
As a result of a follow-on assessment by the Defence Forces Safety Advisor in April 2015 it was affirmed by the military authorities that the minimum lift requirements in an on-road scenario should also be four people as it would be in an off-road scenario.
He noted that a team of four is normally used if the ambulance is not fitted with mechanical lifting assistance.
In a statement to this website, the Department of Defence said that the Defence Forces is “developing in partnership with the contractor an engineered solution, which will enable the stretcher to be placed into the vehicle without manual lifting”.
Originally published 6am
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in fairness in an emergency or battle scene dont think the health and safety would come into it . it would be lets get them in and get the f,,k out of here
Better get it sorted before the next big ‘battle’ so!!
It is disgusting to hear Shinners speak on any subject relating to ambulances and/or the defence forces. Who could take this mob seriously?
Whos taking you seriously?
At least Whos is. That is nice to know even though I do not know who Whos is.
Oh what a fantastic job, well done everyone, four people instead of two, brilliant planning and execution, world class.
Airbag suspension in the rear of the ambulance that can be lowered at the touch of a switch surely the way to go here ? Costs less than €2k to install in a car so it would be paid for in less than 3 weeks of paying the extra 2 crew members wages
Higher heels on their boots?
@Techguy – not possible, the chassis are different height.
A hydraulic stretcher that raises or lowers. Keeps staff levels down
If it was down to the Irish army Isis would be chopping off heads in Leitrim by now. Stay safe lads and for gods sake mind the back.
So speaks the voice of first-hand military experience, no doubt
Hey john who are the first people we will rely on if the do arrive here yes that’s right the army who are excellent and respected around the world it may not be a big army but they are very professional. Do you have any experience of being in the Irish army??? If not shut up.
The should issue a circular to “lift with the knees”.
Well at least they can read my comments as due to deafness they can’t hear them.
@john, there’s a difference between not hearing you and not listening to you.. My money’s on the latter.
Couldn’t of just attached a slide out ramp no?..
tap obvious you are not in touch with reality and didnt see colusion the other night where it shed light on what ruc and paramilitries did .
Complete nonsense. It seems that we have three or four state services that use ambulances (HSE/Defence/Fire Brigade/Airports)…you’d think that they’d buy the one type.
They each have different requirements and tender at different times
I agree with you. I doubt if too many of them lost any hearing either. Handy bit of cash though. As I said stay safe lads stay safe.
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