A number of companies are still using force limitation as a primary safety device on an automated gate. As the pioneering charity which first brought the issue of automated gate safety to the public’s attention, Gate Safe explains why this is a flawed practice.

• As stated by the HSE ‘maximum impact / forces permitted by the standards may not always be appropriate for the most vulnerable members of society’
• Force limitation will not deliver safety at the hinge point on a swing gate
• Adverse weather conditions, such as high winds will significantly increase the forces exerted on the gate during both the closing and opening operation
• HSE states ‘adherence to the standards alone in most cases will not ensure that all of the mandatory requirements for safety will be met’

Gate Safe advises that photocells / light curtains and pressure edges should be installed on every gate or barrier and would never support the idea that force limitation is an acceptable form of safety when not relying on safety edges.

Contact your nearest Gate Safe installer for more information www.gate-safe.org