Gate Safety Week for Industry Professionals

1. GATE SAFETY WEEK : 13 – 19OCTOBER 2014
GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, POWERED GATE OWNERS &
INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS
KEEPING THE NATION SAFE
How companies, facilities managers,
architects & regulatory bodies can
get involved

2. DID YOU KNOW…?
• The safety of powered gates is required by law
• Gates must be installed strictly in accordance with legal requirements
• To keep them safe, gates need to be regularly maintained in a safe
condition by an apropriately trained and equipped individual or
company
• In the last 10 years, 3 children and 3 adults have been killed by
dangerous gates
• There have been countless serious injuries and near misses

3. CORNERS ARE STILL BEING CUT
• There is still a severe lack of awareness and knowledge of safety in
the industry
• There are countless dangerous gates still in service today
• If you have a powered gate and someone gets injured by it, you
could be liable
Properly installed and maintained powered gates are
perfectly safe to use

4. WHY GATE SAFETY WEEK?
• To encourage users and owners to get powered gates checked by a
qualified expert
• To create awareness around the installation and maintenance of
powered gates drawing attention to specific issues such as poor
installation and maintenance
• Provide a neutral platform for organisations with common interests in
the powered gates and powered gate industries
• To engage and educate . . . .
specifiers, merchants, installers, inspectors, surveyors and users in the
correct specification, supply, installation & operation of powered gates

5. COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
• Dedicated URL promoting the campaign
www.gatesafetyweek.co.uk
• Gathering support from influential
industry bodies, trade associations and
supporters
• Twitter and Facebook – social media
campaigns
• National and local events to raise
awareness of gate safety
• Trade, national and local PR campaign
• Promoting the issue of gate safety at
Fencex 2014 – 15 October

6. WHO’S INVOLVED IN GATE SAFETY WEEK
Gate
Safety
WeekManufacturer
s &
distributors
DHF Powered
Gate Group
members
Architects &
specifiers
Building owners &
facilities managers
Home owners &
general public
Regulatory
bodies

7. A QUICK GUIDE TO LEGISLATION
• The Supply of Machinery Safety Regulations require that new powered gates are
safe and should be supplied with a Declaration of Conformity and a CE mark
• The Workplace Regulations require that powered gates in a workplace must be
maintained in a safe condition
• The Health and Safety at Work Act requires that landlords and managing agents
maintain their powered gates in a safe condition
• The Health and Safety at Work Act also requires that installers and maintenance
companies do not leave powered gates in an unsafe condition
• All gate owners or responsible persons risk litigation for negligence if their gate is
not maintained in a safe condition
In all cases, a safe gate is one that has all risks adequately controlled. The key to a
safe gate is “risk assessment” by a trained and experienced industry expert

8. DOs and DON’Ts
TO STAY SAFE
Do
•Get gates checked out by a DHF
Powered Gate Group company
•Keep small children away from
moving gates
•Check all safety devices regularly
•Get them regularly maintained
Don’t
•Allow small children to play or ride
on a powered gate
•Ignore the need for regular
maintenance
•Put off getting a gate checked out
•Use non specialist tradesmen to
carry out work on a gate

9. REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT POWERED GATES
•Maintenance and repair companies should not leave unsafe gates in
service
•Whenever work is done on a powered gate it must be safe afterwards
•Installers should be properly trained and equipped
The DHF Powered Gate Group is the provider of the UK’s leading
in depth gate safety training course. Find out more at -
www.dhfonline.org.uk
•A dangerous powered gate should never be left in service:-
1. It should be switched off
2. The owner should be informed in writing what is wrong
3. The owner should be given a detailed written solution
4. A warning notice should be fixed on the gate

10. MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AROUND POWERED GATES
• Do all your drive units and control boards have a current “Declaration of
Incorporation” under 2006/42/EC?
• Do all of your safety devices have a “Declaration of Conformity” to BS EN
12978?
• Do all your products have comprehensive and precise instructions?
• Are all your electrical devices CE marked under “Low Voltage” and
“Electro Magnetic Compatibility” Directives?
• Can you supply adequate loading calculation data for hinges and rolling
gear?
• Are your sales and specification staff adequately trained on current
legislation?

11. ARCHITECTS & SPECIFIERS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AROUND POWERED GATES
• The safety of a powered gate starts at the design stage
• Does your design eliminate as many hazards as possible….
□ Many sliding gate shear, draw, crush and impact risks are best
controlled by fencing in
□ Swing gate hinges can be designed for “constant gap”
□ Will safety devices spoil the aesthetic of your design?
□ Have you designed in all required safety distances?
• Fully filled/boarded and palisade gates generate huge wind effects;
have you calculated and specified to properly control these forces?
• Retro fitted safety can be very difficult to apply and often spoils the
aesthetic; better to design in the safety at the start
• Do you understand the concepts of gate safety, legislation and
device specification?

12. WHAT DO I NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?
• Your new powered gate should come with a “Declaration of Conformity” and be CE marked
• Automatic gates should be protected by “touch sensitive” control that will cause the gate
to retract if it encounters an obstacle.
(either by rubber safety edges or intelligent drive units)
• There should also be “light beams” across the entrance as a backup measure
Photo beams should never be the sole protection measure – unless they form multi beam
curtaining that prevents all possible access to the moving gate
• The hinge area should be protected by:-
flexible guards or rubber safety edges or have “constant gap” hinges
• Getting a foot trapped under the gate should be prevented by either:-
rubber safety edges or a 120mm safety clearance or be flush with the ground such that a
child’s foot cannot fit under the gate
• Where a gate creates a shearing hazard as it passes a fixed support element, wall or fence
(very common with a sliding gate), there should be rubber safety edges or fencing to
prevent access to the dangerous movement

13. BUILDING OWNERS / FACILITIES MANAGERS
THINGS TO CHECK ON YOUR POWERED GATES
• When was the last time the gate was properly serviced?
• Are all potential hazards adequately controlled - are you sure it is safe?
………….many are not
• Do the safety devices actually work?
• Do you know how to switch it off?
• Do you know how to release it during a power cut?
• Is the person who looks after it properly qualified and equipped?
• Do you have user instructions?
• Does your gate have a CE mark and a declaration of conformity?
• Do you have information about an residual hazards?

14. REMEMBER…..
Don’t chance
it…just DHF
it!
Click
www.dhfonline.org.uk
Call
01827 52337