An electric gate that opens reliably is not necessarily a gate that protects everyone around it. HSE guidance makes clear that safety depends on the complete installation, its surroundings and how it is maintained, not simply whether the motor works.
Gate Safe has continued its Safe School Gates campaign into 2026, including a Westminster roundtable in January. Its earlier school gate audit provides a useful reminder of why a professional safety assessment matters, even when an entrance appears to work normally.
In findings published in 2025, Gate Safe reported on 87 electric gates at schools across the country: 22% had either no safety edges or only one fitted, while 34% had no hinge protection or protection on only one hinge. The charity also found safety edges that were incorrectly positioned, incorrectly programmed or just not working.
These are findings from the gates inspected, not a failure rate for every school gate or domestic driveway gate in the UK; the published account does not establish a representative national sample. The practical lesson is to ask whether the safety measures work together across the whole installation, rather than simply count the devices fitted.
Photocells, sometimes called safety beams or magic eyes, are only part of the picture: HSE warns that many ordinary beams are primarily designed to prevent a gate closing on a vehicle and can be stepped over. Their presence alone is therefore not proof that every person or trapping point is protected.
A proper assessment considers the gate leaves, hinges, posts, moving gaps, controls and the space around the entrance, with different hazards arising as gates open, close or slide past fixed objects. Where force limitation is the primary safety measure, HSE calls for objective force testing to verify performance, including subsequent checks that the installation remains safe.
If you own or manage any electric gate system, these are useful questions to put to your installer or maintenance provider:
These questions reflect HSE's emphasis on individual risk assessment, competent contractors, documentation and regular inspection or testing. Ask for a clear explanation of any remedial work and the recommended inspection schedule for your particular system.
HSE advises that gates found to be dangerous should be taken out of use immediately until the safety concerns have been addressed. Do not try to prove a gate is safe by standing in its path, placing a hand in a moving gap or bypassing a safety device.
At AGD Systems, we offer electric gate safety checks and assessments for domestic and commercial properties, with advice on the protection appropriate to the installation (AGD safety checks and assessments). If you are unsure about your gates, call 01933 229123 or enquire about an assessment through our safety checks and assessments page.
