Door Industry Journal - Winter 2017

Retired secretary Eric Skelding awarded Legion d’Honneur Many dhf members, will remember Eric Skelding, father of Michael, who was Secretary of ABHM (Association of Building Hardware Manufacturers) and DSMA (Door and Shutter Manufacturers’ Association) that formed dhf in 2004. Eric, who, in March this year celebrated his 100th birthday, was recently awarded the Legion d’Honneur medal, which is one of the highest accolades awarded by the French republic. He is among those surviving veterans who are receiving the medal to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation. The medal was presented to Eric by Jean-Claude Lafontaine, Honorary Consul of France for the East Midlands. Eric volunteered to join the army in 1939 and was part of the British Expeditionary Force which was eventually evacuated at Dunkirk in June 1940. In 1941 he was commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment with whom he took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944. He fought through Normandy (including the battle for Caen), the liberation of France, followed by Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. Eric Skelding in military uniform circa late 1942 or early 1943 Eric Skelding wearing the Legion d’Honneur medal DHF WARNING FOLLOWS SENTENCING OF GATE ENGINEER dhf (Door & Hardware Federation) is once again highlighting the potentially legal ramifications of failing to ensure gate safety, following today’s sentencing of gate engineer, Robert Churchyard. Last month, Mr Churchyard, 52, was found guilty of the manslaughter of 56-year-old Jill Lunn, who died in April 2013, following an accident involving an unsafe automated gate. On 30th October 2017, Mr Churchyard, who was employed at the time by Automated Garage Doors and Gates Ltd, was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment, with the company fined £12,000 to be paid within 12 months. This is the first time that an individual has received a custodial sentence for an accident involving an unsafe automated gate and as explained by dhf General Manager, Michael Skelding, this case has set a precedent with regards to the future of safe automated gate installation and maintenance: “Today’s sentencing serves as a stark warning to everybody involved in the automated gate sector that they must ensure all doors and gates are checked for safety against current standards and regularly maintained by properly trained specialists. As this court case clearly demonstrates, both individuals and companies could face prosecution in the event of an accident.” He continues: “We encourage individuals and companies involved in the installation or maintenance of automated gates, to contact us should they require guidance on their legal responsibilities. In addition, dhf provides extensive safety training for both member and non-members companies, with its technical specification, DHF TS 011:2016 (the code of practice for the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of powered gates and traffic barriers), freely available to download from the website.” For further information, please visit http://bit.ly/2yXkgeX THE door industry journal winter 2017 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 35 industry news