The Perils of Ignoring Safety Detection Systems with Remote Controlled Electric Entrance Gates in the UK
As any year draws to an end it is often a time for reflection and reviewing products in and around your home and business. In the UK we see a worrying increase in people ignoring the very basic requirements for an electric gate installation just because they are either ill informed, trying to save costs, or maybe doing a DIY installation with assistance from a tradesperson.
Ignoring critical safety detection systems for remote controlled entrance gates poses a serious and often underestimated risk to lives and property in the UK. By law, every powered gate installed must meet strict safety standards, including the use of safety edges, photocells, and obstacle detection devices that prevent crushing, shearing, or trapping accidents.
Recent years have seen tragic and avoidable incidents, including children and adults injured or killed by unsafe electric gates that lacked effective safety equipment or had faulty controls overridden. Failures to provide and maintain these systems have also resulted in fatalities, major injuries, and significant fines for property owners and installers who ignored their legal responsibilities.
1. Gates closing automatically without detecting people, vehicles, or pets in their path. Nearly all electric entrance gates are set on an auto close logic so it is essential that obstacle detection is used along with a design to avoid anti entrapment points too.
2. Non-functional or absent photocells and safety edges, which are designed to halt or reverse movement on contact or presence.
3. Bypassing or disabling or even omitting safety systems for convenience or cost savings. A worrying number of people have electric gates and omit the safety systems for cost savings, but it is a legal requirement in the UK.
Powered gates are classified as machinery under UK and European law. They must comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations and standards such as BS EN 12453. Neglecting these detection systems exposes users to life-threatening danger and places owners at risk of prosecution and civil claims.
An entrance gate may look secure and convenient, but without certified detection systems and regular safety checks it can become a deadly hazard. Fully compliant installation, maintenance, and use of detection equipment like safety edges, photocells, and force limitation devices is essential, not optional.
Don’t risk lives for convenience - gate safety must always come first!!
For further information look at our gate safety page: https://www.agdsystems.co.uk/home/services/safety-checks-and-assessments/
