How do I know if my beds and stretchers are compatible with the Felgains Bed & Stretcher Movers?

With the wide range of hospital beds and stretchers in use today, one of the most common questions we get asked about our Bed & Stretchers Movers is: ‘How do I know if my beds and stretchers are compatible with the Felgains Bed & Stretcher Movers?’

In this article, and in the video below, we’re going to show you how to check if your beds are compatible with the Felgains bed & stretcher movers, covering 6 factors that affect compatibility:

• Under-bed clearance
• Bed frame width
• Bed frame access
• Bed frame height
• Safe working load
• The range of beds and stretchers across your site

1. Under-bed clearance

The first factor that affects compatibility is under-bed, or under-stretcher clearance.

The GZ10SL has a tine that slides under the middle of the bed or stretcher, so it needs under-bed clearance of at least 90mm. This means the GZ10SL is unlikely to be compatible with ultra-low/floor-level beds or column lift beds:

By contrast, the GZS has arms that fit around the bed, so it requires no under-bed clearance, allowing it to be used with ultra-low beds and beds with column lifts.

2. Frame width – inc. brake pedals

The second factor that can affect compatibility is the width of the bed or stretcher frame – including central braking pedals.

The GZS fits around the bed or stretcher frame, with arms 900mm apart. This means that beds wider than 900mm will not be compatible with the GZS.

However, as mentioned above, the GZ10SL fits under the bed or stretcher, so there are no width restrictions with the GZ10SL. 

3. Frame accessibility

Both the GZ10SL and GZS bed & Stretcher Movers require access to the main frame to attach and move them, depending on which hitch type you choose. 

The flex hitch needs a gap all around the frame to allow the fabric strap to be fed around the frame – such as the Enterprise 5000 bed.

Where the bed or stretcher end touches the frame but is removable, the flex hitch can be used, but the end would need to be taken off each time, which is not ideal. Where the bed end is fixed to the frame – such as with the Linet E2 bed – the flex hitch will not work at all.

There are custom options for where the auto gripper hitch doesn’t work with a bed due to height or frame depth. Please speak to us in this instance.

4. Bed frame height

Where the mattress platform moves independently of the bed frame, the bed frame may be too low for the 2 standard hitches.

In this situation, we offer a specific hitch that will go lower and attach to beds such as the Hill-Rom HR900.

5. Safe Working Load

The safe working load will also affect your compatibility. The GZ10SL has a safe working load of 500kg, and the GZS 600kg. Please check the weight of your beds and stretchers, and also take into account the weight of your patients.

As technology and specifications advance, hospital beds are getting heavier, so be aware of the weight of your beds, especially bariatric ones. For example, the Arjo Citadel Plus weighs 306kg, so with patient weight and other equipment weight taken into consideration, this bed would need to be moved with the GZS over against the GZ10SL.

6. The range of beds and stretchers across your trust

Finally, the range and variety of beds and stretchers across your trust can affect compatibility.

If you have a consolidated range of beds and stretchers, it should be relatively easy to find a compatible solution. However, if you have a lot of different brands and models of beds and stretchers, these may not all work with 1 type of hitch and 1 model of bed mover.

In these situations, we can find a way around this challenge, but it won’t necessarily be a cheap or simple solution!

Conclusion

I trust this article has shown you how to work out if your beds and stretchers are compatible with the Felgains Bed & Stretcher Movers. If you are still unsure, or have any questions, please get in touch and we’d be glad to help.

We can also arrange a free audit of your beds and stretchers to check compatibility. To request this, please contact us on 01473 741144, or via the contact form below. 

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