There are general safety precautions and considerations that are consistent throughout the various testing that were performed. They include safety concerns involving the use of the test dummy, the wheelchair, and the use of the ramp and its components.
When using the test dummy, there is a concern that the test dummy will fall out of the wheelchair and possibly impact something or someone. To mitigate concerns, the dummy was properly secured in the wheelchair with zip ties and ratchet straps. This prevented the test dummy from falling out of the wheelchair or moving from the desired position. Additionally, all people running or viewing the test were out of the way of the wheelchair and test dummy when possible.
The wheelchair and the device also posed a safety concern. Concerns included the risk of the device and wheelchair slipping, tipping, or falling and injuring someone or causing damage to the test ramp, or other testing equipment. This was increased anytime that the device was running. For these reasons, it was important to keep the people running the test and people viewing the experiment away from the experiment whenever possible.
The next concern involved potential instability using the car jack to raise and lower the ramp. To avoid these issues, Nicole Stanec and Charlotte Sullivan were provided safety training by Nick Moosic on how to operate the apparatus. Having this training mitigated safety concerns.
Generally, safety checks of the wheelchair, device and ramp were done before testing was conducted. This included safety checks of the electrical components, the test dummy security, and ramp stability. This helped mitigate any mechanical or electrical failures during testing and kept participants, testers, and spectators safe.