National physical security specialist Security Solutions are playing an active part in an action campaign designed to dramatically improve the safety of automated gates in the UK.
The DHF Powered Gate Group has announced that October 10th – 16th will be Gate Safety Week. But in the months running up to the event, Security Solutions and fellow DHF Powered Gate Group members will be campaigning hard to raise awareness of the risks associated with automated gates.
For its part in the campaign, Security Solutions will be lending weight to Gate Safety Week by sending fact sheets on gate safety to all its customers.
“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 Service Manager Andrew Price.
“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 powered gates pose, and to advise as many people as possible on how to choose safe gates or make their existing powered gates safe.”
Britain’s leading manufacturers, suppliers, installers and maintainers of powered automatic gates and gate automation equipment, who make up the DHF Powered Gate Group, are also planning special events focusing on gate safety.
In addition, the DHF is partnering with a number of influential organisations in the safety, enforcement, inspection, education and security sectors who will be lending their support to the campaign in the coming months.
The DHF set up its Powered 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.
Andrew Price added: “With around 70 per cent of existing powered gate installations proving to be non-compliant, householders and all those responsible for powered 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.”
