Are electric gates dangerous?

There has been press coverage recently of the tragic death of a 9 year old boy whose head was caught by gates at his grand-parents apartment. This raises the very important question of gate safety and whether families should install electric gates on their properties.

In my view, automatic gates can bring real benefits to parents, ensuring that young children do not run into the road and providing added security to the home. I cannot estimate the number of children’s lives that have been saved by the thousands of electric gates installed in the UK, but anecdotal evidence from our customers would suggest that a significant number of children have been kept safe from harm.

Of course, if you decide to add gates to your property it is important to install them correctly to ensure that any risk of injury is minimal. The following check list will help to ensure that your gates are safe in all situations:

Good design: the design must be appropriate for the type of users, frequency of opening and the surroundings of the gate. This is particularly important when young children may use the gates, or play nearby. Ensure that your gates are installed by a reputable company that has experience in fitting automatic gates.

Safety controls: ensure that all appropriate safety controls are properly fitted. Gates will also be fitted with a pressure sensitivity device, so that if a car or person is blocking the gates they will not crush, will stop moving or reverse. Check with your installer that this is correctly adjusted.

Avoiding trapping points: the gate should not touch any point, such as a wall or fencing, when it opens. It is important for the gate to stop opening a good distance before any potential trapping points.

Correct spacing: it is essential that the space between the gate upright and hinge gap (e.g. the space between the gate and the pillar it is mounted on) is no bigger than 10cm (so that no limb can be trapped) and no smaller than 2cm (so that fingers do not get caught).

Regular servicing: an annual check up will ensure that you electric gates are in good working order and functioning safely.

Please check with your installer that these basic guidelines are followed, to ensure that your electric gates will only add to your security.