Gate Safe calls for “more action” from gate manufacturers to prevent accidents

A recent Gate Safety Surgery course held by Gate Safe, the charity that first pioneered the call for action designed to improve the safety of automated gates, has revealed a genuine sense of disappointment among installers who’ve invested in the targeted Gate Safe training only for them to be regularly challenged by the delivery of products that are clearly not fit for purpose.

The general consensus of opinion is that the bigger brands serving the market are doing very little to help the industry and need to work far harder to deliver innovative systems and materials that can then realise improved safety for gate users.

Examples cited include the need to supply all gates with three hinges as per British Standard BS EN 12604:2020 which states that all gates should be fitted with that number of hinges.

Internal doors now regularly feature this added safety precaution, but Gate Safe suggests that virtually all of the manufacturers of external automated and manual gates – which, of course, are likely to be much heavier and, therefore, carry a much higher risk – have seemingly ignored the guidance.

In addition, delegates on the day discussed the requirement to include a gate tether as standard in order to mitigate the risk of a falling gate in addition to the overriding need to identify a more aesthetically pleasing solution for pressure edges.

Supporting survey

These opinions are backed up by a survey that Gate Safe ran across its installer network subsequent to the training course in order to further investigate opinions on the subject. The findings convincingly support the views expressed by those delegates who attended the training.

In detail, the results show that 64% of respondents declared a need for all gate manufacturers to take responsibility for improving the safety of the automated gates that they bring to market.

The subject of automated gate kits continues to be a source of huge concern for Gate Safe and its installer community. A significant 84% of those surveyed feel that the manufacturers of such kits should be doing a good deal more to ensure safe and compliant installations.

Further, an overwhelming majority – 96%, in fact – have backed the suggestion that automated gate kits should not be made readily available direct to consumers.

Learning lessons

Richard Jackson (pictured), the founder of Gate Safe, told Security Matters (itself a supporter of Gate Safe): “Everyone talks about learning important lessons whenever there’s an accident. In the main, the gate installers – and especially those involved in automated gate installations – are incredibly proactive in terms of trying to improve their knowledge and understanding of how accidents can occur and how to mitigate the risks. Not only are they undertaking our Gate Safe training, but we’re also seeing an impressive number of them return for refresher-type instruction.”

Jackson continued: “However, the creators of these gates seem to continue to carry on doing what they’ve always done in the past. In short, making products that are not fit for purpose. It’s not just the gate manufacturers whom we believe to be guilty of inertia, either. The companies who produce gate automation kits for anyone who will pay the price should also be taken to task. These kits are readily available and transform a regular gate into a machine, yet they’re frequently supplied without the appropriate level of safety, but with the warning that such kits should only be used by a trained and suitably competent installer.”

On that note, Jackson asserted: “We all know that this implies there’s a strong risk that a member of the public will attempt to install such a kit. Even if an installer does undertake the installation, in the event of an accident is it then the gate manufacturer who’s taken to task over the unsuitability of the gate structure? No. Sadly, it’s the gate installer or company involved in the gate maintenance who will be held accountable.”

Jackson concluded: “Something needs to be done. After ten years of campaigning, we feel it’s time for the industry to play a stronger role in improving the safety of automated gate installations.”