Ricon Wheelchair Lift - What To Inspect Before DOT Inspection

Posted On: 03/05/2024

What Will DOT Inspect on Ricon Wheelchair Lift

Annual DOT inspections are performed across the entire USA which intend to keep the consumer safe while on the Ricon Wheelchair lift.  Wheelchair lift manufacturers, such as Ricon, build these wheelchair lifts to meet the safety standards required.  It's the transportation companies responsibility to ensure these safety features are operational as they are designed.  Do you have your annual DOT inspection of the Ricon wheelchair lift coming up and want to know what they will be checking?  Below we offer a guide of items they will be checking during the inspection process.  If you need repairs to your wheelchair lift you can locate a dealer near you at BLVD.com that are certified to complete the repairs necessary.

Vehicle Interlock System

Opening the door where the wheelchair lift is located should prevent the vehicle from shifting out of park when the door is open.  This can be completed from a simple switch that prevents this or a more advanced design with additional requirements necessary.  Simply put you should not be able to shift from park to reverse or drive when the door is open.  To test this you can open the door where the lift is located and attempt to shift the vehicle, if it will not shift this is working in proper order. If you can shift out of park this needs to be fixed prior to your inspection.

Seat Belt Restraint on Lift 

Ricon wheelchair lifts are required to have a belt restraint connected in order for the lift to go up or down.  This is a simple seat belt that has a switch inside to determine when the belt is buckled.  If this belt is unbuckled you should not be able to operate the lift up or down until it's connected.  If you can operate the wheelchair lift when this belt is not connected it will not pass the inspection.  Attempt to operate the wheelchair lift with the seat belt not connected. You should not have any operation until its connected.  NOTE - If you have a BraunAbility wheelchair lift it's not required to have this seat belt as the outboard barrier meets the standard not requiring this.

Pinch Shields Inside & Out - Vertical Arms

Both the left and right side vertical arms are required to have pinch shields so ensure they are not missing or broken.  These shields cover the areas of the lift when in operation to prevent a hand or finger getting injured when going up or down.  Both sides will have an inside and outside pinch shield and should be securely attached.

Inboard Barrier Closure

Leaving the vehicle floor level going towards the ground is a inboard barrier that raises keeping the wheelchair lift from driving forward of the wheelchair lift.  This needs to raise on it's own when going down and lay completely flat when coming from the ground to floor level.

Outboard Barrier Closure

Reaching the ground your wheelchair lift needs to have the outboard barrier lower down and open allowing the wheelchair to exit the lift platform.  When raising the wheelchair from the ground up a few inches this outboard barrier needs to raise vertical on its own to keep the wheelchair lift from rolling back off the lift.  If your barrier needs assistance to open or close it will not pass the DOT inspection.

Threshold Pressure Switch

Threshold pressure switches prevent the wheelchair lift from lowering to the ground if a person or wheelchair is occupying the inboard barrier.  Underneath the inboard barrier is a small black square switch.  Position the wheelchair lift at floor level, if you stand on the inboard barrier (transition plate from wheelchair lift platform to vehicle) the wheelchair lift should not lower to the ground.  Test this but be sure if the wheelchair does go down to stop quickly as you could case significate damage to the cam assembly which raises and lowers the inboard barrier.

50lb Fold Limit

Position the wheelchair lift at floor level.  Place a 50lb weight at the end of the mesh platform closest to the vehicle.  Attempt to stow the wheelchair lift, if the lift stows you will need to adjust the pressure setting.  Ricon instructions states the weight should be closest to the vehicle, not at the end of the wheelchair lift platform furthest away.

Hand Rail Lighting

Lights are required to properly work as originally designed by Ricon wheelchair lift manufacture.  These need to be lit during the entire lift operation sequence.  Lights that flicker or stop working during operation will not pass.

BLVD.com Dealer Network Can Help You Pass DOT Wheelchair Lift Inspections

If your Ricon wheelchair lift does not meet any one of these requirements it will not pass the upcoming inspection.  Ensuring these lifts are working properly is important not only for the inspection process but also the customer safety, not to mention the liability the business will have if a employee or client gets injured accident or not.  Get your Ricon wheelchair lift DOT inspection ready with BLVD.com dealers network who are ready to serve you.

Author Information

Katie Cummings
Mobility Blogger

My professional background stems from non-profit marketing and fundraising for a large children’s cancer hospital. Every day I was able to make connections and relationships for kids and their families going through devastating times. From securing small donations to large corporate support, it was all about providing hope that one day doctors and researchers would find a cure. It was truly an honor to be a part of something so important.

Just this past year, I came to work alongside my family for BLVD.com, a website dedicated to offering the latest information and resources for people needing mobility products. This was a dream come true for me as I have always wanted to combine more time with my family while still helping others. Our family has been in the mobility industry for over 35 years with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for people with mobility issues. This is the spirit behind BLVD and what I am most excited about sharing in my blog.

I love meeting new people and have found that volunteering is the best way to learn more about others and myself. Coffee keeps me going as do walks my pup "Kirby" and most of all being with family and friends. I invite you to check out my blog to learn more about how "together we can move through life better!"

About Location Services

Setting your location allows BLVD.com to display local results for wheelchair vans, mobility products, dealers, stores and much more. The default location you are seeing may have been pulled via your IP Address which typically is only accurate within about 30 miles.

Enter ZIP For Desired Location

Cancel Do not update