END EDGES
THROUGH EDGES
What are electric gate safety edges?
There are numerous safety hazards with electric gates and safety edges are the main way to protect your family and visitors from accidental harm.
In addition to infra-red photocells, these devices are placed on the edges of your gates which may come in to contact or pose a risk of trapping or shearing etc.
Safety edges are rubber strips which consist of a daisy chain of ‘through’ and ‘end’ edges which are wired through a transmitter to your gates control panel. If the edge comes in to contact with an obstacle, it immediately sends a signal to the control panel to stop and reverse the motor away from danger.
How do gate safety edges work?
Following a risk assessment by a certified gate installer, you would apply safety edges along the areas of the gate where there is deemed to be a potential hazard.
When the edge comes in to contact, even lightly, with an obstacle, the rubber profile compresses down and applies pressure to the contact strip.
The contact strips are all wired together in a chain using connectors back to the gates main control panel. You will have both ‘through’ and ‘end’ edges which attach to each other in a daisy chain.
The safety edges are either self adhesive (small profiles only) or are attached by rivets through the aluminum mounting profile. The rubber profile clicks easily in to place once the mounting tracks are positioned. This method means it is simple to install or replace an edge in future if required.
During installation your edges need to be force tested to ensure that they are functioning correctly and will stop when required.
We advise that every electric gate installation has the recommended amount of safety edges to ensure safe and reliable operation to protect family, visitors and vehicles at all times.
To find a qualified gate installer or for more information about gate safety regulations, visit the Gate Safe or the DHF (Door and Hardware Federation) website.
What are the hazards that safety edges protect against?
- Crushing – Crushing points occur in closing gaps within 500mm
- Shearing – When moving leaves closely cross fixed structures such as posts
- Impact – Contact with a moving leaf outside of crush points
- Cutting – Sharp protrusions which can cause cutting
- Hooking – Areas where clothing can become hooked when gate is moving
- Entrapment – The possibility of becoming trapped when the leaf is moved
- Drawing In – Where movement can pull a body part through with it
How does a whole electric gate safety system work?
Your electric gates will have a combination of safety mechanisms. These include infra-red photocells to detect an obstacle in the path of the gates, safety edges and for sliding gates you have gate stops at each end to prevent over running which could cause the gate to fall off.
The diagrams below show a fairly typical installation. Please only use this as a guide to understanding how these systems work together and not as a diagram for your own installation set up as every situation differs.
Swing Gate Safety Devices
Sliding & Cantilever Gate Safety Devices
Find out what safety edges you need on your gate installation
The best thing to do is give us a call on 01282 677300. We can discuss your requirements and if you’re able to send us some photographs of your gate and where it is situated along with measurements of the gate leaf sizes, then we can help you more effectively.
We can take orders for safety edges over the phone, this way we know you have got exactly the right safety system for your installation. Alternatively, you can email us on sales@gateauto.co.uk and attach the images of your gate and site.
Safety Disclaimer
Gate safety is an essential consideration as there have been several deaths over the last few years as a direct result of poorly installed and badly safeguarded gate installations. Gates when under power from a motor are operating with a large force behind them so safety should always be your primary concern.
The information we have provided on this page is to be used as a guide only as every installation has differing requirements.
We would always recommend that you get an installer who is registered with GateSafe or DHF Powered Gate Group to come to your site and carry out a specific risk assessment for you.
A correctly installed electric gate which fits all the current safety regulations will keep people entering and exiting your property safe from accidental harm at all times. Having your gate automation and safety devices serviced annually will ensure that they continue to protect properly.