Door Industry Journal - Summer 2012

SAFETY ADVICE FOR POWERED GATE CUSTOMERS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Vital safety guidance on all aspects of choosing, installing and maintaining powered gates is now online at www.dhfpoweredgategroup.co.uk . The website has been produced by the Door and Hardware Federation’s powered gate group which represents the leading UK manufacturers, suppliers, and installers of powered perimeter gates and gate equipment. The DHF group was formed following recent fatal accidents that have involved wrongly specified or poorly installed automatic gates. The DHF rose to the challenge of providing an independent platform for the industry to drive up levels of safety in gate manufacture and installation. The group is open only to companies which have demonstrated their credentials of quality, safety and adherence to high technical and safety standards. So far it has issued comprehensive safety advice to the gate industry in the form of a Health & Safety Executive-endorsed guide. It has followed this up with its online website designed specifically for powered gate customers. The website details how a professional gate installation makes a critical contribution to business or domestic protection, ensuring the user can be protected from any hazards arising from the gate installation. The website describes the benefits of choosing a DHF powered gate group member company and lists the health and safety requirements that must be met. The site visitor can also easily obtain contact details of all vetted member companies of the DHF powered gate group. “Correct and safe gate installation is vital, not only to minimise the chances of injury but also to reduce the user’s liability if an unforeseen incident occurs,” said Andy Holz, chairman of the DHF powered gate group. “Our new customer website, combined with the technical advice we are already giving to building professionals and gate companies, will help ensure that every current and future gate installation in the UK should be safe and will comply with the law. That in turn means that the risk of death or injury due to inadequate manufacturing and installation will be dramatically reduced.” The website is at www.dhfpoweredgategroup.co.uk or can be accessed from the main DHF website www.dhfonline.org.uk . At a recent gate safety conference topics covered included how the DHF is helping raise industry safety standards, training, the progress made by the gate industry on safety issues, and how the UK could learn lessons from the consequences of increased motorisation of gates in the USA. These presentations are available in the downloads section of the DHF powered gates website. 2ND GATE SAFETY CONFERENCE Event success ensures another step forward for automated gate safety The automated gate Industry took another step forward recently following the success of the 2nd Gate Safety Conference (held on the 27th June in Solihull) hosted by ASO Safety Solutions, German manufacturer of gate safety devices. The 2nd Gate Safety Conference aimed to update and further educate the Industry with legislative & practical guidance on gate safety following the hugely popular inaugural event hosted back in October 2010. In the period following the last conference, the creation of a new Industry focus group for gates (the Powered Gate Group) within the trade body DHF (Door and Hardware Federation) has accelerated the development of Industry guidance documents and has also provided the correct platform to liaise with enforcement bodies such as the HSE (Health & Safety Executive). This year’s conference gave the opportunity for manufacturers, installers & specifying companies of automated gates to learn more about the on-going legislative requirements for installing & maintaining these products. Practical advice was also given on interpreting the myriad of BS EN Standards which are used to aid with compliance. The credibility of the ev ent was also boosted by the representation of the HSE itself through Roger Upfold, one of its HM Inspectors, who provided clear and detailed information to the delegates with an excellent presentation. Another notable guest speaker was Mr Richard Jackson who has also spearheaded awareness of gate safety in commercial organisations and the wider public do main through the Gate Safe Campaign. Delegates were also informed of similar activities being undertaken outside of the UK, with representation of the US market being provided by Mr Thomas DeSilvia of the Chamberlain Group. The afternoon period of the event was concluded by members of the Powered Gate Group of the DHF, who provided clear advice to installers who would be using the “guide to gate safety legislation & standards” on its interpretation and use. The conference was drawn to a close with a final Q & A session in which all of the speakers were invited to the stage to answer questions posed by the event audience. “Today we notice that the participants are very thankful for the support.” said Andreas Holz, Sales Manager UK/Ireland/BeNeLux at ASO Safety Solutions. For more information and to access the presentations from the 2nd Gate Safety Conference please visit www.gate-safety-conference.com or www.dhfpoweredgategroup.co.uk Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 48 THE door industry journal summer 2012 powered gates Images: flickr.com/photos/jaqian