prEN 1865-4
(Main)Patient handling equipment used in ambulances - Part 4: Foldable patient transfer chair
Patient handling equipment used in ambulances - Part 4: Foldable patient transfer chair
This document specifies minimum requirements for the design and performance of foldable patient transfer chairs, which are used for the conveyance of patients to and/or from road ambulances. It aims to ensure patient safety and to minimize the physical effort required by staff operating the equipment.
Krankentransportmittel in Rettungsdienstfahrzeugen - Teil 4: Klappbare Patiententragesessel
Diese Europäische Norm legt die Mindestanforderungen an die Ausführung und Gebrauchstauglichkeit von klappbaren Patiententragesesseln fest, die als Krankentransportmittel zum und/oder vom Krankenkraftwagen verwendet werden. Mit dem Tragesessel wird bezweckt, für die Sicherheit des Patienten zu sorgen und die körperliche Anstrengung des Personals, die dieses Transportmittel bedient, möglichst gering zu halten.
Équipements pour le transport de patients dans les ambulances - Partie 4 : Chaise de transfert mécanique pliante
Le présent document spécifie les exigences minimales en matière de conception et de performances des chaises de transfert mécaniques pliantes utilisées pour le transport des patients vers et/ou depuis des ambulances routières. Il vise à assurer la sécurité du patient et à réduire les efforts physiques des personnels utilisant ces équipements.
Oprema za ravnanje s pacienti v reševalnih vozilih - 4. del: Zložljiv prenosni stol za paciente
Ta dokument določa minimalne zahteve za načrtovanje in delovanje zložljivih stolov za prenos pacientov, ki se uporabljajo za prevoz pacientov do in/ali iz cestnih reševalnih vozil. Namenjen je zagotavljanju varnosti pacientov in zmanjšanju fizičnega napora, ki ga zahteva osebje pri upravljanju opreme.
General Information
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 23-Apr-2025
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 239 - Rescue systems
- Current Stage
- 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
- Start Date
- 28-May-2026
- Due Date
- 07-Mar-2023
- Completion Date
- 28-May-2026
Relations
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2023
Overview
prEN 1865-4:2026, developed by CEN, defines the minimum performance and design requirements for foldable patient transfer chairs used in ambulances. These chairs are essential in the safe and efficient conveyance of patients to and from road ambulances, supporting both patient comfort and the well-being of emergency staff. The standard focuses on safety, ergonomics, and operational effectiveness to minimize the physical effort required by ambulance personnel while reducing risks during patient transportation.
Key Topics
- Design Requirements: Specifies dimensions, weight limits, and construction materials to ensure strength and durability. Chairs must be lightweight yet sturdy, with a mass not exceeding 17 kg and a loading capacity of at least 200 kg.
- Safety Features: Requirements include secure restraint systems with quick-release mechanisms, non-slip handles, and robust footrests. The design must eliminate sharp edges or potential injury points.
- Operational Efficiency: Chairs must be easily foldable for storage within ambulances and possess mechanisms that aid staff in ascending or descending stairs, lessening manual handling risks.
- Flammability and Durability: Materials used must resist ignition according to EN 597-1:2015, ensuring that patient transfer chairs meet high fire safety standards. Structural components are tested for deformation under significant loading to verify long-term reliability.
- Locking Mechanisms: All hinges and locks must remain secure throughout operation and should not open spontaneously or bend under normal use.
Applications
Foldable patient transfer chairs conforming to prEN 1865-4:2026 are widely used by:
- Ambulance services for transporting patients between scenes, homes, and healthcare facilities, especially where lifting stretchers is impractical.
- Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who require equipment that is easy to operate, lightweight, and quickly deployable for efficient patient handling.
- Hospitals and healthcare providers that integrate these chairs for safe patient movement from entry points to wards or departments.
- Patient transport companies operating in urban environments or multi-story buildings where maneuverability and carrying up and down stairs are essential.
Related Standards
prEN 1865-4 is part of the wider EN 1865 ambulance equipment series, which covers a range of patient handling devices to enhance safety and interoperability. Closely related standards include:
- EN 1865-1: General stretcher systems and patient handling equipment
- EN 1865-2: Power assisted stretchers
- EN 1865-3: Heavy duty stretchers
- EN 1865-5: Stretcher supports
- EN 1865-6: Powered chairs
- EN 1865-7 (in development): Isolation transport systems
- EN ISO 14971: Application of risk management to medical devices
- Regulation (EU) 2017/745: Medical device regulation for ensuring patient and operator safety
Practical Value
Adopting prEN 1865-4 improves patient safety and operator welfare during ambulance transfers. It ensures equipment is fit for purpose, reliable under demanding conditions, and compliant with European medical device regulations. Implementing this standard helps manufacturers and healthcare providers:
- Meet regulatory and procurement requirements
- Enhance user confidence in ambulance equipment
- Support risk management and quality assurance practices
- Ensure compatibility with broader ambulance patient handling systems
Keywords: prEN 1865-4, foldable patient transfer chair, ambulance patient handling equipment, medical device standard, emergency medical services, CEN, patient safety, stretcher systems, European Standard, ambulance safety.
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Frequently Asked Questions
prEN 1865-4 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Patient handling equipment used in ambulances - Part 4: Foldable patient transfer chair". This standard covers: This document specifies minimum requirements for the design and performance of foldable patient transfer chairs, which are used for the conveyance of patients to and/or from road ambulances. It aims to ensure patient safety and to minimize the physical effort required by staff operating the equipment.
This document specifies minimum requirements for the design and performance of foldable patient transfer chairs, which are used for the conveyance of patients to and/or from road ambulances. It aims to ensure patient safety and to minimize the physical effort required by staff operating the equipment.
prEN 1865-4 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 11.160 - First aid. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
prEN 1865-4 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN ISO 21388-2:2024, EN 1865-4:2012. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
prEN 1865-4 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2017/745; Standardization Mandates: M/575, M/575 Amd 2. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
prEN 1865-4 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2026
Oprema za ravnanje s pacienti v reševalnih vozilih - 4. del: Zložljiv prenosni stol za
paciente
Patient handling equipment used in ambulances - Part 4: Foldable patient transfer chair
Krankentransportmittel in Rettungsdienstfahrzeugen - Teil 4: Klappbare
Patiententragesessel
Équipements pour le transport de patients dans les ambulances - Partie 4 : Chaise de
transfert mécanique pliante
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 1865-4
ICS:
11.160 Prva pomoč First aid
43.160 Vozila za posebne namene Special purpose vehicles
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
May 2026
ICS 11.160 Will supersede EN 1865-4:2012
English Version
Patient handling equipment used in ambulances - Part 4:
Foldable patient transfer chair
Équipements pour le transport de patients dans les Krankentransportmittel in Rettungsdienstfahrzeugen -
ambulances - Partie 4 : Chaise de transfert pliante Teil 4: Klappbare Patiententragesessel
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 239.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 1865-4:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Requirements . 5
4.1 General. 5
4.2 Dimensions. 5
4.3 Mass . 6
4.4 Loading capacity . 6
4.5 Frame . 6
4.6 Restraint system . 6
4.7 Flammability . 6
4.8 Deformation of the frame and backrest lying-sitting area . 6
4.9 Locking. 6
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the General Safety
and Performance Requirements of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 aimed to be covered . 7
Bibliography . 9
European foreword
This document (prEN 1865-4:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 239 “Rescue
systems”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 1865-4:2012.
Compared to EN 1865-4:2012 the following main technical changes were made:
a) Main title of EN 1865 series changed from “Patient handling equipment used in road ambulances” to
“Patient handling equipment used in ambulances”;
b) Normative references updated;
c) Contents updated to change titles of “Flammability – Toxicity of Burning Gasses” to “Flammability”;
d) Clause numbering updated throughout the whole document;
e) Annex ZA revised to show relationship to Medical Device Regulations (MDR) instead of Medical
Device Directive (MDD);
f) Mass (4.3) raised from 15 kg to 17 kg;
g) Loading capacity (4.4) raised from 150 kg to 200 kg;
h) The use of the word label removed, intent of requirement remains unchanged (4.4);
i) Clause on Seat and backrest (4.6) deleted;
j) requirements aligned with other parts of this standard series;
k) Verification methods in Clause 5 moved into Clause 4 requirements that previously referenced them.
In these cases, the requirement and test methods were combined;
l) Clause on “Marking” (5) deleted.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
This document is a part of EN 1865, Patient handling equipment used in ambulances, which consists of the
following parts:
— Part 1: Specification for general stretcher systems and patient handling equipment;
— Part 2: Power assisted stretcher;
— Part 3: Heavy duty stretcher;
— Part 4: Foldable patient transfer chair (this document);
— Part 5: Stretcher support;
— Part 6: Powered chairs;
— Part 7: Isolation transport system (preliminary work item under development).
1 Scope
This document specifies minimum requirements for the design and performance of foldable patient
transfer chairs, which are used for the conveyance of patients to and/or from road ambulances. It aims
to ensure patient safety and to minimize the physical effort required by staff operating the equipment.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 597-1:2015, Furniture — Assessment of the ignitability of mattresses and upholstered bed bases — Part
1: Ignition source smouldering cigarette
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
3.1
foldable patient transfer ch
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