Gate Safety
Automatic gates, properly installed, should represent good value for money and give years of trouble free service. Safety is our very highest priority, and all our installations comply with European Safety Regulations.
All gate installations must meet with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, with EN13241-1 being the regulations specifically concerning gates. The two main EN regulations that then apply are EC12453 – which describes the safety levels that should be observed during installation – followed by EN12445, which describes the testing methods that should be undertaken.
With the correct site survey, risk assessment and subsequent informed choice of automation equipment and safety devices, your gate will provide years of reliable, safe service. Following installation, our experienced engineer will fully test your gates and provide full instruction on the safety features of your gates and apply a CE mark, so you can be confident the job has been carried out properly.
We use risk assessments associated with any gate installation for which we quote. These take into account:-
- Current Health & Safety regulations, Requirements & Recommendations
- The location, site environment and expected use of the gates
- The type of gate, barrier or bollard proposed to suit the installation
- Risks which could be attributed to both users and passers by
All our installations specify the use of the following safety features as necessary:-
- We fit primary safety beams on all our installations to detect obstructions between the gate posts or brick piers
- We fit secondary safety beams just beyond the swing of the gate or underground safety induction loops to detect objects within the swing of the gates
- We fit two pairs of safety beams as a minimum to all sliding gate installations
- We fit deformable safety edges, where appropriate, to all posts, walls, pillars and fences to detect obstacles at potential pinch points
- We fit all our Control boards in a lockable weatherproof cabinet.
Automatic gate users need to follow the guidelines below:-
- Always ensure that the gates are regularly served at least annually by your gate installer, who fully understands your installation
- Never modify or tamper with any system once installed and tested
- Report any problems to your installer as soon as possible
- Wait until the gates are fully open before passing through the gateway
- Never stop anywhere between the gates
- If you have tracked gates, check regularly to ensure the ground tracks are free of leaves, stones, snow or ice
- Never let children play on our around automatic gates without ensuring that the opening system is secured and cannot be operated accidentally
- Always ensure the gates are in view when triggering the opening or closing
- Never try to obstruct the gates when they are in motion
- Always switch off the power supply before manually unlocking the gates, even in the event of a power cut
Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss any aspects of safety with respect to installing and using automated gates via our ‘Contact us’ page.