5 ways to improve your gate safety

With so many safety devices on the market for electric gates, we have listed the top 5 ways to improve safety measures on your electric gate openers.

1. Photocells

You will find a pair of photocells are supplied with all electric gate kits. They are small boxes with an infra-red beam that are mounted facing each other on either side of your gate.  If this beam is broken or interrupted, it sends a signal to the control panel that there is an obstruction which prevents the gates from operating. This simple fail safe will prevent gates from opening in to vehicles, pets and children that are too close to the gates when in operation.

Sometimes, it may be necessary to add an additional pair of photocells on the outside of your gates. Your gate installer should advise you if this is needed during your initial risk assessment.

2. Safety Edges

Otherwise known as rubber contact strips, safety edges need to be installed on on any edge of a gate which may cause trapping, shearing or crushing points.

The safety edges operate by being pressure sensitive. If they come in to contact with an obstacle they will crush, this will trigger the gates to stop and reverse away from danger.

For more information about safety edges for electric gate kits, visit this page.

3. Flashing Lights

The best way to stop anyone from being in the way of an electric gate whilst it is operating is to inform them that it is about to operate.

A flashing light is a very good solution to this, especially for the hard of hearing or for particularly noisy industrial sites as it can provide a visual alert.

4. 24V Electric Gate Kits

As opposed to the 230V electric gate kits, 24V electric gate kits have a built in function for obstacle detection.

This system shouldn’t be relied on as a standalone safety mechanism but instead seen as another layer of protection. If the control panel senses increased resistance against the gates, they will trigger the stop and reverse cycle.

This is why 24V systems are not suitable for closed boarded gates because in windy conditions, they will detect more force and not function.

5. Force Testing

This is a process which involves a specific piece of equipment called a force tester.

Certain points of your gates are tested to see how many newtons of force are required before the safety devices are triggered. Depending on the rate of force and the area of the gate will determine whether the gates pass or fail, thus complying with the EN12453 requirements.

Any DHF recognised electric gate installer should carry out force testing as standard. On completion of the test, they should give you a copy of the results for your records. It is advised that a residential gate is force tested once a year and commercial / heavy use gate twice a year.