Installers, designers, maintenance firms and manufacturers of electric gates, are being urged to seriously consider new safety advice issued by the HSE following the recent deaths of two children.

The safety alert points out that limiting the closing forces of gates alone will not provide sufficient protection to meet the relevant standards, and installers must fit additional safeguards to gates in public areas.

HSE’s Director of Field Operations said:

“When manufacturing, designing or installing electric gates, it’s crucial to consider who will be in the area when it’s operating. If general public can access the gate then additional protections should be in place. These protections can be in the form of creating safe distances, installing fixed guards, limiting the forces or installing sensitive protective equipment – among others.”

HSE’s advice today also reminds those in control of the maintenance of electric gates to regularly review their risk assessments, taking account of or any changes to the operating conditions or environment.

After two sad deaths involving children being crushed from using electrically powered gates, the HSE has reminded you of a Safety Notice issued in February (http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/electricgates.htm)

The purpose of the Safety Notice is to alert those involved in the design, construction, installation and/or commissioning of electrically-powered gates to potential safety risks to pedestrians; it is also of relevance to organisations in control of the use and/or maintenance of existing electrically-powered gates.

When designing, constructing, installing and/or commissioning electrically powered gates, or where managing sites where electrically powered gates exist, you must ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that you have undertaken a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to identify any hazards and associated risks to persons using the gates.

This should include consideration of the following;

• the identification of any trapping and/or crushing zones where employees or persons not in your employment may become trapped and injured;
• the identification of ways in which safe operating systems may be defeated or by-passed & place employees / non-employees 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 & not recognise a risk to their safety;
• The identification of ways in which persons may be harmed by the gates should they be 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);
• Risk assessments should be undertaken as early as possible. Undertaking a risk assessment at the design phase will allow an opportunity to design out risks at an early stage;
• Any design changes should be subject to a revised risk assessment to ensure the changes have not introduced new hazards or risks;
• When the installation is complete, a final risk assessment should be undertaken

You should also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that you have eliminated and/or controlled any risks identified from the risk assessment.

Wherever possible risks should be eliminated, but where they need to be controlled technology such as fixed guards, pressure sensitive strips, safety sensor flooring, light barriers or infra-red detectors may help control and/or reduce the risk, but consideration needs to be given to how a person may still be harmed if one of these systems fail

Any component parts (such as motors and motor arms) supplied by separate manufacturers should be installed in accordance with the manufacturers guidance, and used in accordance with their instructions for use;

Where the gates are defined as a machine under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 a conformity assessment must be undertaken by a responsible person 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.

Persons adopting the responsibility for the management and maintenance of the gates should be provided with the appropriate safety documentation, instructions for use, and training in how to operate and maintain the gates safely. Persons using the gates regularly should be given appropriate information, instruction and training on how to operate them safely

For help with any of these issues, please call Andrew on 07870 777303