Safety Alert

From 1990-2000, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has estimated that nearly 25,000 people have been involved in automatic gate-related injuries, including 9,000 children under the age of 15.

In order to decrease the number of gate-related injuries, the CPSC issued a national alert on October 23, 2001, urging consumers to replace older gate systems with newer systems to meet the 2000 safety standard.

The new standard requires all labeled gate operators to be equipped with or have a provision for at least two independent means to provide against gate entrapment, such as reversing mechanisms and sensing devices.

It is imperative that you know your liability. If you have any questions regarding your UL 325 status, contact us immediately for further information.

Site application must be matched to the correct class of operator (Class 1, 2, 3 or 4).

Primary and secondary safety devices must be provided and matched to the operator.

Waiver of safety or bypassing of safety devices is not an option.

Responsibility for U.L. Safety Standards does pass to the Dealer/Installer.

Warning signs (supplied with operator) must be permanently affixed to both sides of the gate panel (suggest photo after installation as proof of compliance).

Suggest development/use of an installation checklist and customer sign off form to document clear understanding of safety device purpose, operation and maintenance.  Service/preventative maintenance contracts are a logical add-on to insure safe and proper operation of the system.

Safety Points:

Use appropriate class of operator for type of application.

All openings of a slide gate must be screened from the bottom of the gate to a minimum of 4 feet to prevent, at maximum, a 2 ¼” diameter sphere from passing through.  This also applies to the portion of the adjacent fence that the gate covers in the open position (screening is necessary for adjacent ornamental fence).

All weight bearing exposed rollers 8 feet or less above grade shall be guarded or covered to where a ¼ inch diameter sphere cannot come in contact with any moving part of any exposed roller.

The operator is intended for installation only on gates used for vehicles.  Pedestrians must be supplied with a separate access opening.

Class 1 & 2 gate operators cannot exceed a speed of 1 foot per second.

Class 1 & 2 gate operators must have an audio alarm that shall function if 2 sequential activations of the inherent entrapment protection device occur.

An obstruction must be sensed within a maximum of 2 seconds, the operator shall then, in most conditions, stop and reverse a minimum of 2 inches.

The operator shall stop the gate upon sensing a second sequential inherent entrapment obstruction, and then not operate until a renewed intended input is received (this cannot be a timer, radio control or loop detector input to close).

For gate operators utilizing Type D (continuous pressure actuating device) protection:

Operator controls must be placed so that the user has full view of the gate area when the gate is moving.

Automatic closing devices (timer, loop sensor, or similar) shall not be used.

No other activation device shall be connected.

Controls must be far enough from the gate so that the user is prevented from coming in contact with the gate while operating the controls.

All warning signs and placards must be installed where visible in the area of the gate (on both sides).

For operators using a non-contact sensor:

See instructions on the placement of non-contact sensors.

Care shall be exercised to reduce the risk of nuisance tripping.

One or more non-contact sensors shall be located where the risk of entrapment or obstruction exists, such as the perimeter reachable by a moving gate.

For operators using a contact sensor:

One or more contact sensors shall be located at the leading edge, trailing edge, and post-mounted both inside and outside of a vehicular horizontal slide gate.

A hardwired contact sensor shall be located and wired so that the communication between the sensor and the gate operator is not subject to damage.

Wireless contact sensors shall be located where the transmission of the signals are not obstructed or impeded.  A wireless contact sensor shall function under the intended end-use conditions.