The Door & Hardware Federation’s Automated Gate Group has announced that October 9th – 15th will be ‘Gate Safety Week’. But in the run up to the event, BusinessWatch Group and fellow DHF Automated Gate Group members will be campaigning hard to raise awareness of the risks associated with automated gates, with this year’s campaign focusing on safety in the school environment.
For its part in the campaign, BusinessWatch Group will be contacting building managers in the education sector with an urgent reminder of the vital need to have their automated gates checked.
“More than two thirds of all automated gates installed in the UK do not comply with latest legislation and could pose a serious safety risk,” said Jonathan Wakerley, Managing Director of BusinessWatch Group.
“Even more worrying is the fact that unsafe installations are still being carried out by unqualified installers and gate companies who are quite willing to take dangerous short cuts in both gate manufacture and installation.
“Gate safety campaigners such as ourselves have organised Gate Safety Week to raise awareness of the dangers that automated gates pose, and to advise as many people as possible on how to choose safe gates or make their existing automated gates safe.”
The DHF set up its Automated Gate Group on behalf of the UK gate automation industry with encouragement from the Health & Safety Executive following the tragic deaths of two young children in accidents involving powered gates. It has developed extensive safety guidance which is followed by all responsible automatic gate installers.
It runs a training course which covers all aspects of safe gate installation which is recognised as the most stringent gate safety training course in Europe.
Added Jonathan: “With around 70 per cent of existing automated gate installations proving to be non-compliant, householders and all those responsible for automated gates must take safety very seriously. We’re confident that Gate Safety Week will play a vital part in significantly raising levels of gate safety and we are pleased to be making a real contribution.”
