Door Industry Journal - Spring 2019

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 105 THE door industry journal spring 2019 Automated Gates & Barriers “Without specialist knowledge, training and equipment, it is almost impossible to judge definitively at a glance whether or not a gate is safe and legally compliant” explains Nick. “There are many areas to consider such as structural integrity, moving part hazards, electrical safety, control system safety, residual hazards, user instructions and signage when assessing whether an automated gate is fit for purpose”. The only practical advice that can be offered to an untrained user or owner is to have the system assessed by a specialist contractor, implement any safety upgrades recommended and then have it regularly maintained by a specialist. dhf readily admits that legal requirements and standards for installing and maintaining automated gates are complex and confusing for un-trained people, even within the industry. To this end, dhf offer a range of training courses for installers and maintainers and for those with wider legal compliance responsibilities such as managers and field supervisors. In addition, dhf makes its codes of practice documents freely available to anyone via download from the dhf web site, along with a wide range of shorter guides and safety warning notices. “The federation has recently held meetings with CPNI (Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure), HSE and PSSA (Perimeter Security Suppliers Association) to discuss the ever-present and highly controversial conflict between the desire for security at high security sites and the legal need for safety required by the Machinery Directive,” explains Nick. “There has now been considerable movement in this regard and PSSA is expecting to publish some very important guidance on this subject in 2019. This forthcoming guidance is intended to provide much needed clarity for clients and manufacturers alike when considering the design and application of high-security Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) rated perimeter systems. dhf applauds this much-needed work and eagerly awaits the release of this guidance which, it is hoped, will have the backing of both HSE and CPNI.” Automated gates: what could possibly go wrong? There are many potentially dangerous areas on automated gates including crushing at the main leading edge as it closes, crushing at the hinge areas as these often reduce in size as the gate opens, crushing under the gate and impact with the gate leaf throughout its swept area. Other hazards include structural failure due to hinge, rolling gear, travel stop or supporting structure failure, and electrical hazards such as fire and electric shock. There are also minor hazards to consider, such as trip hazards and vehicle impact hazards, which can be dealt with via several methods such as signage, user manuals and warning devices, such as flashing lights. The above hazards have resulted in countless injuries such as broken arms, legs, ribs, loss of fingers, cuts and bruises. Tragically, there have also been several deaths through suffocation, crushing and head injury, most of these victims being children. High-security Gates and Perimeter Fencing for Slough data centre Procter Contracts were specified to provide high security cantilever gates and perimeter fencing for the world’s largest data centre provider. Client: Equinix Project / Location: LD6 data centre, Slough Sector: High-Security and Utilities Products used: Pro-sure 358 Mesh and Cantilever Gates The Background The purpose-built LD6 facility is in the heart of Europe’s largest financial market and has direct connectivity to the London Internet Exchange (LINX), one of the world’s largest Internet Exchanges. Due to the state-of-the-art technology and highly sensitive data stored within the facility, a comprehensive security plan identified the requirement for high-security perimeter fencing to protect against present day threats of trespass, sabotage and terrorism. The Solution A team of experts from Procter Contracts were tasked with protecting the 86,000 square foot facility and advised on the use of high-security perimeter protection. Our team understood that designing effective security solutions requires in-depth knowledge and experience of minimising the potential risks and threats of a given site. This assessment identified the potential security issues and resulted in Pro-sure 358 fencing being installed to make sure the rigorous security requirements were met. The Result The installed secure perimeter fencing around the data centre enabled the client to meet the highest security requirements required to operate its business. Specifically designed for high- security applications, Pro-sure 358 high-security fencing consists of 76.2mm x 12.7mm mesh. This meant that not only would it be impossible for would-be trespassers to get a foothold or wire-cutters in the fence, the improved through visibility enabled the area on the other side of the fence to be monitored easily.