PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR CRUSHING HAZARDS ON ELECTRICALLY POWERED GATES

COVERS: Risks to pedestrians from crushing hazards on electrically powered gates.

  • Following the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) Safety Alert this booklet gives details on the responsibilities and the actions required by Landlords, Commercial owners or facilities managers of property with electrically powered gates.
  • The HSA safety alert states: “Every employer and self-employed must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the design, provision and maintenance of safe means of access to and egress from a place of work, and the design, provision and maintenance of machinery that are safe and without risk to health”.
  • “Similarly there is a duty on a manufacturer of a powered gate to ensure that before placing a product on the market or putting it into use at any place that it satisfies essential health and safety requirements and other related requirements laid down by the European Communities (Machinery) Regulations, 2008 (S.I. No. 407/2008). Compliance with these requirements will normally be achieved by adherence to the relevant European standards, including those referenced below. A conformity assessment must be undertaken prior to their use, and a technical file compiled. Any information or instructions required on how to operate the gates should be made available to the person(s) or organisation that the gates are produced for. An EC declaration of conformity should be produced, and the gates CE marked. Other directives that are relevant include the Construction Products Directive, the Low-Voltage Directive, the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive and the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive”.

Actions required by Landlords, Commercial owners or facilities managers of property with electrically powered gates.

1)The HSA safety alert states: “Where there are concerns about the safe operation of any electrically powered gate they should be examined by a competent person who is familiar with the requirements of the Regulations and relevant European Directives and Standards”.

2)To identify hazards to potential users of the system and to achieve an acceptable level of safety.

  • The HSA safety alert states: “Where there are concerns about the safe operation of any electrically powered gate they should be examined by a competent person who is familiar with the requirements of the Regulations and relevant European Directives and Standards”.

3)To ensure you are within the parameters stated in the EN standards we would recommend a system is tested and report generated by the testing company.

This report should cover the following:

  • The force of the gates meets EN standards in all test positions.
  • The gate reverses in all directions and in all positions if inadvertently hits an object or person.
  • The gate should have a functioning emergency release mechanism in case someone gets trapped.
  • Safety Signage.

What to test for when testing an electrically powered gate.

The HSA safety alert states: “When identifying hazards associated with electrically powered gates, consideration should be given to, among other particulars, the following:”

  • any points where persons may be injured by being crushed or becoming trapped;
  • the forces required for closing/opening the gates and the forces generated by a gate when meeting a person or an obstacle;
  • hazards associated with the gates being activated automatically, or by another person (for example, by a sensor under the road surface activating a gate when a car drives over it, or by a remote button or key fob pressed by a third person);
  • Possible ways in which safe operating systems (such as key-pad or key-fob systems) could be defeated, by-passed or inappropriately operated, and place any person at risk. This is particularly relevant where children, members of the public, or persons not familiar with the safe use of any installation have access to electrically powered gates and may not recognise a risk to their safety.
  • Wherever possible hazards should be eliminated but for hazards that cannot be eliminated, measures which may help to reduce the risk include:
  • creating safety distances, e.g. ensuring adequate distance between the control panel and the nearest danger point on the gate;
  • installing guards, e.g. a fixed guard to cover mechanical trap points such as guide rollers or sprocket drives;
  • operating the gate in hold to run mode;
  • limiting the forces;
  • Installing sensitive protective equipment such as pressure sensitive strips, safety sensor flooring, and light barriers or infra-red detectors (photoelectric devices).

Example of service record.

GATE AUTOMATION SERVICE RECORD
TYPE OF INSTALLATION:
DATE / FAULTY (if relevant) / WORK CARRIED OUT / DEALER / SIGNATURE
Counter
Counter
Counter
Counter
Counter
Counter

Example of signage required

Do not pass through moving gates

Crushing hazards on swing and sliding gate

Do not pass throughmoving gates

European Communities (Machinery) Regulations, 2008 (S.I. No. 407/2008)

  • I.S. EN 12635:2002+A1:2008: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Installation and use
  • IS EN 12604:2000:Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Mechanical Aspects- Requirements
  • IS EN 12453:2000: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Safety in use of power operated doors - Requirements

Useful links: We would strongly advise looking at the video clips at the links below.