Door Industry Journal - Spring 2017

21 THE door industry journal spring 2017 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Stanair Industrial Doors went on to comment on their particular highlight from the day’s itinerary, the tour of the premises; “It is great for our Sales Guys to see where and how the products are produced and to be able to talk to our Prospects/Customers with confidence and belief having seen the processes of manufacture etc.”. Speaking of the event, Company Director Colin Reoch told us “with so many exciting announcements and with our newly refurbished premises, we felt an open day gave us the best opportunity to showcase our new products whilst greeting our old customers and allowing new customers to meet the team and see the factory. Our open days have always proved to be popular but even we were surprised (and delighted) with the number of guests we welcomed to this year’s event”. High praise Weeks later and SWS UK are still receiving praise from their customers. Beverley Burlison from Abbey Garage Doors wrote “I was so impressed with how professional and well organised the whole event was. Somebody needs praising for the organising of it all”. With the bar now firmly set for an informative and enjoyable event, SWS UK look forward to holding many more open days, training seminars and product presentations at their head office near Lancaster. industry news SALUTARY TALES MANUAL SLIDING GATE FATALITY The proprietor of a small import/export transport business with 6-8 large lorries, had his yard and warehouse enclosed by a 7 ft. high palisade steel fence incorporating a 40 + ft. wide two-leaf sliding gate. The work was carried out by a reputable fencing contractor who subcontracted the gates to a local fabricator. The manually operated leaves were RHS framed with vertical bars, each leaf was about 22 ft. long x 7 ft. high, bi-parting and carried on 6” diameter vee-grooved rollers running on a fabricated floor track. The track comprised a MS rod welded on to the top of an RSC which was fishtailed and grouted into the ground. The leaves were guided by goal-posts at either side of the opening. The trailing end of each leaf was guided by a pair of rollers bearing on both faces of the top rail of the leaf. Prevention of over-run was initially dependent on track “stops”; pieces of 10mm/12mm bar welded across the track, intended to stop the leading roller. These proved unreliable, so angle cleats were fixed to the trailing posts with the intention that these would catch on the goalpost fabrication which supported the vertical guide rollers. The event which triggered my investigation occurred when the last driver to return to the yard was closing the gates, which had been reported to be increasingly stiff to operate. He vigorously pulled the LH leaf towards the centre of the opening and got it rolling briskly enough to jump the track stop and continue across the opening as he then moved to the outer face of the gate. The retro-fitted angle cleats failed to stop the movement and the whole leaf ran out of the guides and, being unrestrained, toppled over onto the driver, crushing him. He died of his injuries. * The stiffness of operation was due to the fact that the wheel bearings were rusted and partially seized up. They had never been lubricated because the grease nipples were inaccessible. * No adequate consideration had been given to the possibility that a leaf might pass out of the guides and no back-up device had been incorporated. * The gate fabricator was untrained in these matters, and both the fencing contractor and site owner relied on the gate supplier’s expertise. * There was no risk assessment, user guidance or maintenance documentation provided. John Boydell Email: jmbgpc@tiscali.co.uk Phone: 01952 432429 A regular column, which concisely outlines Door and Gate related incidents, some of which became court cases, brought to you by John Boydell, a Door Industry Consultant and Forensic Engineer since 1984. J Boydell