AN EMB140 CAPT DISCOVERS THAT A WHEELCHAIR THAT WAS LOADED ON THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE ITS BATTERY SECURED PROPERLY.

Narrative

PRIOR TO DEP; WE RECEIVED A HAZMAT FORM INDICATING THAT WE HAD A BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR ON BOARD. I ASKED THE AGENT IF THEY KNEW IF IT WAS WET CELL OR DRY CELL AND THEY DID NOT KNOW AND THE RAMP PEOPLE LOADING THE ACFT DID NOT KNOW EITHER. I WENT WITH THE RAMP PERSON TO THE AFT CARGO AREA AND THEY PULLED THE CHAIR OUT. FINDING OUT THAT IT WAS A DRY CELL WHEELCHAIR AND THE BATTERIES HAD NOT BEEN DISCONNECTED. WE TOOK A DELAY UNTIL THE BATTERIES WERE PROPERLY SECURED AS PER THE FLT MANUAL. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT WHENEVER A BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR IS LOADED ONTO OUR ACFT; ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME THE CHAIR IS NOT PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT PROPERLY. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A SEPARATE FORM FOR BATTERY PWRED WHEELCHAIR BEING SHIPPED THAT NOTES WHETHER IT IS WET OR DRY CELL AND ALSO A PLACE TO CHK OFF THAT THE BATTERY HAS BEEN PROPERLY PREPARED. AS IT IS NOW; THE HAZMAT FORM ONLY HAS A BOX FOR BATTERY PWRED VEHICLE. AGAIN; THIS PROB LIKE AT MIA HAPPENS OVER AND OVER; AND A BETTER FIX IS NEEDED.