Does your home have automatic gates? Are they legally compliant and physically safe? You should remember that under the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, owners should ensure the automatic gates in Manchester properties, for instance, meet BS EN 12453 safety standards. In this way, the automated perimeter security measure will prevent severe crushing accidents.
In short, the primary benefit of investing in automated gates that meet the UK’s strict regulations is that your visitors stay protected. At the same time, your legal liabilities are kept at bay, and your property stays protected.
Why Modern Force Testing and Sensors are Mandatory?
During operation, automatic gates in Manchester become a powerful piece of modern machinery. This is why the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) treats automatic gates as industrial machines.
The consequences of a malfunctioning automatic gate go beyond a jammed mechanism. If an automatic gate is installed on a property, and that too without proper anti-crushing safety features, the equipment, while operating, generates enough force to cause irreparable damage to property, life-altering injuries to people, and even animal fatalities.
To keep the devastating consequences mentioned above at bay while meeting the UK’s safety regulations, the automated gates in your property should be decked out with the safety equipment mentioned below.
Dedicated Photocells
To simplify the explanation, let us consider dedicated photocells as intelligent light curtains. These are installed on properties with automatic gates. These detectors are programmed to detect obstructions across a property’s driveway.
When an obstruction is detected, the photocells stop the automatic gate mechanism before it can damage a vehicle, injure a pedestrian, or crush a pet or stray animal.
Touch-Sensitive Safety Edges
Touch-sensitive safety edges are yet another active safety device for automatic gates. These are installed on the moving borders of an automatic gate and are programmed to detect physical resistance.
When the sensitive edges detect even the slightest resistance, the gate is instantly commanded to move in the opposite direction.
Professional Force Testing
If you are planning to retrofit your property with automatic gates, never get that done by amateurs, the neighbourhood tradesperson or by yourself.
Professional installers use specialised equipment programmed to measure the force exerted by a closing automatic gate, ensuring it is well within legal limits.
If you are a landlord, a commercial property manager or the owner of an upscale property, do not ignore these requirements. If you do, you are keeping yourself and your property open to hefty fines, severe operational disruptions, and prosecution.
Ensure The Automatic Gates Are Professionally Serviced
The automated perimeter security measure on your property is subject to not only mechanical wear. Unpredictable local weather elements, such as strong gusts, can turn solid gates into sails, which in turn strain their automated operator arms.
If professionals do not periodically calibrate the automated gate, the system supporting the gate will start misinterpreting wind resistance as obstructions, fail to detect actual hindrances or trigger constant false stops.
For the best results, never ignore the maintenance requirements of your automated gates. With regular servicing, the automated gate’s internal drive parameters, its electromechanical parts, and everything in between will be shipshape, safe and compliant.
Secure Your Property Boundaries Before the Winter Freeze
Avoid waiting for a failure or a surprise inspection to find that the automatic doors on your property do not meet current UK standards. Upgrade now to ensure your property remains safe, operational and compliant year-round.
If you are looking for a reputable contractor to install automatic gates at your properties, connect with Bennetech. We have qualified engineers under our payroll who specialise in risk assessments, safety upgrades, and legal force testing.