SAE J3043_201407

This SAE Recommended Practice describes the dynamic and static testing procedures required to evaluate the integrity of an equipment mount device or system when exposed to a frontal or side impact (i.e., a crash impact). Its purpose is to provide equipment manufacturers, ambulance builders, and end-users with testing procedures and, where appropriate, acceptance criteria that, to a great extent, ensure equipment mount devices or systems meet the same performance criteria across the industry. Prospective equipment mount manufacturers or vendors have the option of performing either dynamic testing or static testing. Descriptions of the test set-up, test instrumentation, photographic/video coverage, test fixture, and performance metrics are included. This SAE Recommended Practice was developed by members of the SAE Truck Crashworthiness Committee in support of the ambulance industry’s need to apply science to the design and testing of the equipment mount devices or systems used in the ambulance patient compartment. The Recommended Practice was validated collaboratively by industry and government partners through extensive testing funded and managed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Homeland Security and the Ambulance Manufacturers Division of the NTEA. Input loading for the dynamic testing was generated using the vehicle specific crash pulses described in SAE J2917 and SAE J2956, respectively. An independent analysis of the testing methodology and resulting data was performed by government and private members of the automotive testing community.