1ST CHOICE TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY WITH AUTOMATIC GATES IN HITCHIN
Our most recent refurbishment job was to a set of automatic gates in Hitchin. This wasn’t the usual repair and maintenance project, but rather a safety and compliancy refurbishment undertaken on existing automatic gates.
Providing access to a housing complex in Hitchin, these automatic gates were in perfect working order
However they were not compliant to current Health and Safety regulations and would have been condemned under current legislation. So, rather than replace the gates entirely, the owners contacted us to discuss some safety refurbishments that could be made to ensure the gates were brought up to standard and made safe to use.
As they were fairly new, these automatic gates did have a minimal amount of safety equipment installed, in the form of a beam which prevented the gates from closing on stationary vehicles. This would not have protected pedestrians from a similar crush situation though, so we needed to install extra measures to ensure these electric gates were safe for pedestrians too.
First off, we installed a leading edge on both automatic gates
These would prevent anyone from being crushed if the gates closed on them whilst they were trying to walk through. These leading edges are sensitive enough that if they feel the pressure of a trapped person or object between the gates, they will stop and return to the open position to prevent serious injury. Secondly, we also installed a rubber hinge to each gate post. As these gates operate, they create a small gap between the post and the back edge of the moving leaf. These rubber blocking hinges stop people, especially children, from reaching through these gaps, and so prevent sheering and crushing injuries from occurring.
We urge everyone who owns and operates any sort of automatic gate entry system to pay attention to the health and safety requirements, and to take electrical gate safety seriously.
If you’d like to discuss a safety and compliancy refurbishment for your automatic gates, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, or indeed around the country, then please get in touch today. Contact us 24/7 on 0800 118 2414 or email us at info@1stchoicesecuritysystems.co.uk
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