Gate Safe audit reveals three hinges recommendation “not observed”

The gates in question were surveyed on request by gate owners who already demonstrated a strong commitment to safety, since they were actively seeking an independent assessment of the gate to ensure compliance with Best Practice.

Of the 63 gates that were found to feature two hinges, a disappointingly low figure of 12 (ie 14%) had received a safety upgrade courtesy of a gate tether, which in the event of a hinge failing, would prevent the gate from falling.

Sadly, the Gate Safe audit revealed that only nine (just over 10%) of the gates reviewed were equipped with the recommended three hinges.

Potentially unsafe gates

It’s likely that the Gate Safe audit represents just a snapshot of the automated gate landscape in the UK. The surveys covered different parts of the country, so it’s feasible that there’s an exceptionally high number of potentially unsafe gates in the field, with an associated strong risk of another falling gate incident occurring at any time.

What’s particularly disturbing is that these survey findings relate to gates where the owner is already demonstrating a strong desire to uphold the required standard of safety. It’s worrying to consider what the results are likely to be in instances where there’s a more cavalier approach adopted towards automated gate safety.

Retrospective reviews

Richard Jackson, chair of Gate Safe (for which Security Matters is an Official Supporter) commented: “Despite the guidance being issued in 2018 via the updated British Standard, the fact that so many gates fail to feature the recommended three hinges is disappointing, but not entirely surprising. What’s more of a concern to us is that so little is being done to retrospectively review these existing gates and, when the absence of a third hinge is identified, mitigate the risk of the gate falling by simply adding a gate tether.”

Jackson added: “This measure costs very little – the average tether is priced under £10 – and, from a customer perspective, there’s no fee associated with installation works, yet we see very few gates with this safety feature.”

In conclusion, Jackson stated: “We encourage all installers to take heed of the three hinges recommendation. In the event of an accident, failure to take the appropriate action may result in the installer being accused of creating a gate system that’s not fit for purpose. This is something about which the courts will take a dim view.”

*Further information is available online at www.gate-safe.org