A crash test is a controlled crash that measures how well a vehicle withstands impact. The same methods used to test cars have been used to test ambulances, with a particular aim: making the patient compartment safer for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians and the patients they carry. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) partnered with the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate and others to carry out ambulance crash tests.
Ten test methods
The testing contributed to ten test methods published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), covering everything from seat belts to the structure of the patient compartment:
| Method | What it covers |
|---|---|
| SAE J2917 | crash pulse from a frontal impact |
| SAE J2956 | crash pulse from a side impact |
| SAE J3044 | crash pulse from a rear impact |
| SAE J3026 | integrity of EMS worker seating and restraints |
| SAE J3059 | measuring an EMS worker's head movement during a crash |
| SAE J3027 | patient cot, floor mount and restraint system |
| SAE J3102 | floor integrity to support the patient cot |
| SAE J3043 | mounting devices and systems for ambulance equipment |
| SAE J3058 | integrity of storage compartments |
| SAE J3057 | integrity of the modular (box-style) body |
What changes
Crash-test data help engineers understand how an ambulance's structure behaves in a crash and design safer structures and equipment. The resulting changes to design, testing and manufacturing affect the layout of the patient compartment, what is inside it, such as seats, and the outside body of the ambulance.
Putting the results to use
- Builders and suppliers can design and test vehicles, seats, cots and other devices to protect occupants in a crash.
- People who design or buy ambulances for a service should learn the crash test methods and consult the Ambulance Patient Compartment Human Factors Design Guidebook, which can help them design a compartment that fits the service's needs while improving worker safety and patient care.
A video series
NIOSH and the Science and Technology Directorate produced a seven-part video series, Improving EMS Safety Through Ambulance Design & Testing. It covers ambulance history, injury statistics and standards; crash testing an ambulance; seating and restraints in the patient compartment; the patient cot, cot mount and patient restraint; testing equipment mounts and storage; building a stronger patient compartment; and using the design guidebook.
Sources
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, "Ambulance Crash Testing": https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ems/crash-testing/index.html
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.cdc.gov
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