window-cleaner 0 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Australia's obesity crisis has forced health officials to revamp their fleet of ambulances to cope with a sharp rise in overweight patients. Super-sized vehicles have been introduced and new air ambulances will be remodelled to carry heavier people. Studies estimate that 67% of Australian men and over half of all women aged over 25 are overweight or obese. So many Australians are now bulging at the waistline that ambulances are being equipped with heavy-duty stretchers. These are capable of carrying patients weighing up to 220kg (34 st 9 lbs). In the country's most populous state, New South Wales, officials have said that more super-sized ambulances may well be needed to cope with this health crisis. Special vehicles with over-sized wheelchairs and a hydraulic tailgate were introduced a few years ago to transport larger people. Their workload has doubled since 2004. Link to post Share on other sites
YellowSnow 0 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 What will the Flying Doctors use? Heavy lifting helicopters? Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 It's a FAT FAT world out there and it's getting fatter. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 So when you see an 18-wheeler with sirens blairing, you know it's one of the new Aussie ambulance Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Anal factoid of the day. On a truck, a "wheel" is what sits on one hub, whether it be one or two wheels. The number of wheels on a truck is the number of axles, multiplied by two. Plus the fifth wheel, if fitted. Yawn, sorry. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Do you mean it's impossible to have an 18-wheeled truck? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 If it has nine axles, no problem, but that is a very specialised vehicle. Most max at 5 or 6 axles. A five axle truck has 18 wheels on 10 "wheels" . Japan is very conservative on wheel loadings, about half that of Europe. It means that the trucks here can climb fast, and stop on mountain descents. The downside is more vehicle movments. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I think the ambulances need all 18 wheels and 9 axles to carry those heavy Aussies...The chopper must be a double rotar version... Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Har har. I have Aussie as well as UK nationality, and I can still manage to drag my lardarse up the mountain. Nyah. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I shouldn't talk...Americans can get pretty big.... Link to post Share on other sites
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