Special School Bed Modifications
The special school’s very large activity beds had only been provided with canvas panels for two sides each and the fixings of the tops of these panels to the bed posts were inadequate and liable to tear and sag. The company that had supplied the beds was no longer trading.
The solution
New plastic-canvas side panels were made by a company specialising in tarpaulins, and the existing side panels were modified so that steel tubes could be inserted through the top hems. All the panels have a wooden batten inserted through the bottom hems. This is screwed to the bed frame. Steel plates were welded to the ends of the steel tubes for fixing to the bed posts, the tubes were then painted with primer and then spiral wrapped with toweling to provide some padding. Quick release fittings, already present, permit the lowering of each of the long side panels.
Two sides of the third bed are presently inaccessible because it is up against two walls. This bed is too heavy to move because it has a water filled mattress, so we are waiting for the school to arrange for the bed to be moved to a new location.
The benefit
The children can now be safely placed on the beds and so benefit from the sound and light stimulation provided by the beds.
- Skills involved:
- Issues Addresses:
- Activities Helped:
- Location:
- Solution:
