PREVENTING WHEELCHAIR FALLS
IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK
BE PROACTIVE WITH YOUR WHEELCHAIR SAFETY
The majority of wheelchair falls are preventable and occur simply because the manual wheel locks are either not used correctly, or not used at all, while transferring to and from the chair. This results in the wheelchair rolling away while sitting into or standing from the chair, causing in an unnecessary and preventable fall or injury.
Safer Locks engage even when manual locks are not used, so there is never a need to worry about falls being caused by a rolling wheelchair.
Twenty years of refinement and proven use is why Safer Locks are the standard in wheelchair fall prevention today.
— MD, PT
Ormond Beach, FL
I purchased a Tracer SX5 wheelchair with Safer Locks for my mom from you last year. This product has saved her from multiple fall events! As a physical therapist, I can endorse this product without hesitation. Thank you!!
THE SAFER LOCKS STORY:
A SMALL TOWN DOCTOR ON A MISSION TO PREVENT WHEELCHAIR FALLS
Physician Grady Dugas, the inventor of the automatic wheelchair locking system, saw a crying need for a better wheel lock while treating residents in nursing homes. "Some residents fell repeatedly, often injuring themselves seriously while attempting to get into or out of their wheelchairs. They did not consistently remember to engage the wheelchairs' manual locks. As a result, the wheelchairs would roll away from them as they attempted to stand up or sit down. Often these injuries changed the quality of the rest of residents' lives," said Dr. Dugas.
To help these people, the wheelchair locks had to be automatic.
Dr. Dugas and his wife Annie Jo
Dr. Dugas made it his mission to solve the problem. After experimenting with various designs, Dr. Dugas was awarded patent # 5,203,433 for his automatic wheelchair wheel lock system.
Later, Dr. Dugas joined forces with Bill Hoge, President of United Plastic Molders in Jackson, Mississippi. With the help of Bill Hoge and the skilled craftsmen of UPM, they developed a lighter and more maintenance free wheelchair wheel lock design which utilized advanced DuPont polymers. The new design was patented in 1999 and Safer Automatic Wheelchair Wheel Locks, or Safer Locks, was formed.
Today, the team of dedicated professionals at UPM and Safer Locks continues to fulfill Dr. Dugas' mission to "help prevent wheelchair-related falls and improve the quality of life for all people who use a wheelchair".
