Rob's Tips

ROB’S TOP TIPS
Mind the gap!

Salford City Council has been fined £20,000 after a six-year-old boy with autism and learning difficulties lost the tips of three fingers when his hand became trapped in a school gate in 2012. The incident occurred because there had been a failure to fit a guard over the gate hinges, despite the fact that the risk assessment on the gate had revealed that staff needed to be vigilant and supervise children through the gates. The gap in question reduced from 8mm to nothing … Gate Safe speculates that there are many other gates in operation within a school environment that also feature gaps that reduce enough to represent a significant risk. So our advice to everyone is check those gaps!

However, the blame cannot simply be placed on the school. I did a survey at another school last week and identified an automatic gate that was decidedly unsafe. The school was under the impression that they had been supplied a “new” gate but in reality it was second hand! It would seem that purchasers not only need to spell out that they want a CE marked gate, they also want a newly manufactured one!

Regular maintenance is critical to ensure a safe and compliant automated gate. Most gates should be maintained a minimum of every six months (more frequently for gates which are exposed to exceptionally heavy usage) by a Gate Safe Aware installer who has undergone the requisite specialist training to demonstrate the necessary skills and knowledge to appreciate the requirements of a safe automated gate installation.

ROB’S TOP TIPS
Power outage? Problem sorted!

Here’s a simple yet highly effective response to dealing with the frustrating (and possibly dangerous) problem associated with manually releasing an automatic gate in the event of a power cut.

Rather than waste precious time trying to find the manual release keys / key holder, why not supply a neat key safe which contains the keys with every gate sold? The safe can be installed on the post or adjacent to the post and all gate users should be notified of the safe code. That way they will have instant access to the release key if the power fails.

ROB’S TOP TIPS
Check those safety edges

Gate Safe has received information claiming that in certain circumstances the effectiveness of safety edges can be compromised as a result of a fault between the safety edge controller and the gate controller, resulting in the loss of the safety function.

Let’s keep it simple, all edges should be checked weekly to ensure that they are working. There is no need for a weekly engineer visit, simply position something in front of the various edges when the gate is operating and make sure that the gate stops and backs off when it comes into contact with the object.

Taking the time out do this on a weekly basis will ensure you have a safe gate!

ROB’S TOP TIPS
Maintenance Matters

Regular maintenance is critical to ensure a safe and compliant automated gate. Most gates should be maintained a minimum of every six months (more frequently for gates which are exposed to exceptionally heavy usage) by a Gate Safe Aware installer who has undergone the requisite specialist training to demonstrate the necessary skills and knowledge to appreciate the requirements of a safe automated gate installation.

Just as you need to keep an eye on how a car is running in between formal services, anyone who has responsibility for an automated gate must be prepared to review the condition of the gate on a regular basis, outside of the biannual services.

Here is a simple checklist detailing the important factors influencing the safety of an automated gate – we recommend that these checks should be made formally on a monthly basis. However, we would also encourage anyone that uses the gate to keep an eye out for any signs of damage / excessive wear and tear.

• Are the photocells clean and clear of any debris which could hinder their ability to track a moving object? Excessive plant growth, litter, leaves, even snow can seriously compromise the efficiency of a photocell?
• Are the photocells operating correctly on an opening and closing cycle?
• Are the hinges of the gate able to move with ease? Consider whether there is a need to lubricate the hinges or any other moving parts / does the gate move freely when operating?
• Are there any visible signs of wear and tear? This would include any deterioration in the rubber that features on the safety pressure edges or hinge protectors?
• Is the control box still intact? No loose wires? No obvious signs of any ingress of dust / water?
• Is the warning sign on the gate still legible? If fitted, is the warning light / audible signal in working order?
• Are you able to release the gate manually? Is the manual release key easy to access?

If you are unsure of any of the above requirements, please contact your nearest Gate Safe Aware installer, find them HERE

ROB’S TOP TIPS
Do I need an emergency stop button?

Many people ask if an emergency stop button is mandatory on an automated gate system.

The Machinery Directive states that an emergency button should be fitted.

BUT this is pertinent to a machine shop type of equipment such as a lathe or pillar drill which only operates in one direction.

See excerpt below from the Directive:

1.2.4.3. Emergency stopMachinery must be fitted with one or more emergency stop devices to enable actual or impending danger to be averted.The following exceptions apply:— machinery in which an emergency stop device would not lessen the risk, either because it would not reduce the stopping time or because it would not enablethe special measures required to deal with the risk to be taken,

Gate Safe believes that in normal situations the fitting of a stop button is not appropriate.

Why?

Consider the unfortunate scenario of someone being trapped in an automatic gate. In this instance, the activation of the emergency stop would disable the system but not help release the victim. The gate would be stopped from moving if a further open or close signal was received, or indeed if any safety circuits were activated intended to move the gate away.

Therefore, activating an emergency stop button could potentially trap someone, as it would stop the gate from moving away and releasing pressure on the victim.

Such devices should only be used if it is possible to move the gate with ease when the motor is not running (non-locking motors, for example) or the stop control also reverts the gate a few centimetres.

Even then they may create a security risk if they have been activated in error or as a result of an act of malice.

Always remember to carry out a residual risk assessment when fitting any equipment and consider all the various scenarios that could lead to an accident!

ROB'S TOP TIPS
Welding on site
Part of Gate Safe’s remit is to carry out independent surveys on existing automated gate systems. During such a survey, one of our first priorities is to look at the actual physical structure of the gate.

In the case of swing gates, our attention would firstly focus on the hinges and support posts. Our findings are often worrying, especially if the hinges have been adapted from one type of operator to another, for example changing from an underground motor to a ram. This would entail a lot of welding and fabrication on site and which ultimately results in a considerable level of structural change to the gates.

We have come across numerous cases where the hinges have not been welded strongly enough, possibly because they are welded by unqualified engineers. This results in cracks in the posts or hinges and misalignment of the leaves, which can instigate a significant risk of the gates falling over, especially if in addition, one of the hinges is inverted.

We strongly advocate that welding is best carried out in the workshop rather than on site and always by a suitably qualified NVQ level 2 welder. This would allow proper testing and inspection and would guarantee a stronger – and therefore safer end result. If this is not possible, then thorough checks should be carried out post the welding. Consideration should also be given to the use of extra safety supports such as a gate tether or a third hinge.

Always remember, the failure of one component in an automated gate installation can lead to a catastrophic and potentially tragic outcome …

ROB'S TOP TIPS
Logic functions with a safety upgrade

Part of Gate Safe’s remit is to carry out independent surveys on existing automated gate systems. During such a survey, one of our first priorities is to look at the actual physical structure of the gate.

In the case of swing gates, our attention would firstly focus on the hinges and support posts. Our findings are often worrying, especially if the hinges have been adapted from one type of operator to another, for example changing from an underground motor to a ram. This would entail a lot of welding and fabrication on site and which ultimately results in a considerable level of structural change to the gates.

We have come across numerous cases where the hinges have not been welded strongly enough, possibly because they are welded by unqualified engineers. This results in cracks in the posts or hinges and misalignment of the leaves, which can instigate a significant risk of the gates falling over, especially if in addition, one of the hinges is inverted.

We strongly advocate that welding is best carried out in the workshop rather than on site and always by a suitably qualified NVQ level 2 welder. This would allow proper testing and inspection and would guarantee a stronger – and therefore safer end result. If this is not possible, then thorough checks should be carried out post the welding. Consideration should also be given to the use of extra safety supports such as a gate tether or a third hinge.

Always remember, the failure of one component in an automated gate installation can lead to a catastrophic and potentially tragic outcome …

ROB'S TOP TIPS
3 gate accidents in 2 weeks, 0 excuse
In a chilling reminder of the events of 2010, when two children were killed in separate automated gate accidents in a space of 11 days, almost 9 years later Gate Safe is aware of reports of three accidents involving manual sliding gates over a course of two weeks. Thankfully there have been no fatalities reported but the three cases all point to the same failure to observe a critical safety protocol for sliding gates – whether they are in automatic or manual operation – which relates to the fitting of end stops.

In normal automatic operation most, sliding gates position themselves at the open and closed positions by the use of limit switches or encoders. In the event of these failing or becoming damaged it is possible for the gate to potentially continue running further than it should and missing the support posts. This will result in derailment or the leaf falling over and causing serious injury or worse – as was evidenced by the tragic death of Jill Lunn in Norwich in April 2013. This could very easily happen on a manually operated gate, or on an automated gate which has been put into manual operation. Indeed, one of the recently reported cases involved a sliding gate in a school setting, that had been changed from an automated to manual operation. The gate over-ran and fell on a child causing a serious but thankfully not fatal injury. It is absolutely imperative that there are multiple physical stops fitted in both the open and close positions so that in an unexpected situation the gate cannot over run the correct position and travel out of its guides. These stops need to sufficiently strong and fitted correctly to negate the possibility of the gate over travelling.

Gates found without end stops should be taken out of service until remedial works have been carried out and need to be securely held in a position that ensures that no accidental movement can occur until the necessary corrections have been made.
Commenting on the worrying spate of sliding gate accidents, Ian Ripley, CEO of the Association of Fencing Installers (AFI) said, “We would urge all of our members to take the Gate Safe training to help them fully understand the key risks associated with sliding gates – whether they are manual or automated – and more importantly, to ensure that they take the appropriate action to mitigate against such risks to prevent the occurrence of any further accidents. As professionals in our field, we must lead the way to encourage best practice - in line with Gate Safe’s recommendations – to safeguard our customers and the general public.”

In addition to fitting end stops there are other risks with sliding gates such as a single point failure, for more advice on this and additional risks associated with manual gates in general, refer to the Gate Safe website or contact us info@gate-safe.org or call 01303 840 117.


Gate Safe is committed to raising awareness of the relevant steps to be taken to ensure the safety of ALL gates (not exclusively automated gates).