Door Industry Journal - Winter 2021

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 96 THE door industry journal winter 2021 Automated Gates & Barriers Phil Dowson’s New Role: Delivery of Force Tester Training and Product Certification After 5 1 ⁄ 2 years with the production team, Phil Dowson has begun a new role as Product Development Engineer. His 5 years have seen him develop an intimate knowledge of the products, and now he is ready to begin using that knowledge to advance the Ellard product range. This new role will involve the delivery of Ellard’s Force Tester Training, which will help the company to raise the safety standards within the industry. Force testing is a legal requirement on any automated door or gate, and this training will equip customers with the knowledge and confidence to carry it out properly. This training is available to all Ellard customers and can be incorporated into any product training session to deliver maximum value when attending training at Ellard. Phil will also be responsible for the certification of new products, ensuring that they are fit for purpose and comply with all relevant legislation. The extensive pre-launch testing carried out at Ellard will give their customers confidence in Ellard products, that they will perform to specification and that they are fully compliant with relevant legislation. Ellard is determined to make its customers’ lives easier and that is why Phil will also be developing a new test protocol to enable you to use their test data to apply UKCA marking to your installations. www.ellard.co.uk dhf Announces Martin Keelagher as its Newest Board Member Door & Hardware Federation ( dhf ) has announced that its newest Board Member is the Director of Security Access Systems Ltd, and Chairman of dhf ’s Automated Gate Group, Martin Keelagher. Following eighteen months of unprecedented challenge, during which dhf has flourished as an organisation, it is continuing to strengthen its infrastructure and plan for the future. Martin’s presence on the Board also ensures vital representation from the automated gate sector. Working in the industry since 1997, Martin is a fierce advocate for safety across the profession. This passion, and his support for dhf’ s clarion call that ‘safe gates save lives’, has enabled him to make a tremendous success of his position as Chairman of the Automated Gate Group, a role he has held since 2019. His mission remains that of spreading the message that those with responsibility must be legally compliant, and of the importance of education through training. “Martin is a highly skilled and seasoned professional whose objectives |are perfectly aligned with our own,” says dhf ’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “Martin possesses a raft of strengths, knowledge and experience that he brings to the Board and we are delighted that he has made this commitment. Furthermore, his appointment also comes at a time when dhf is celebrating ten years of support for the automated gate sector. Martin’s continuing dedication to dhf and to making the industry safer is widely known, and we are thrilled to have him on board, particularly as this is a voluntary role.” “I am very honoured to have been voted to join the dhf Board and look forward to working with them to ensure that progress in achieving greater standards of safety, continues to be made,” adds Martin. “ dhf has created an enviable training programme that not only offers accredited training that educates the gate sector, but that of the Industrial & Garage Door sector, and with its collaboration with BRE, fire door sector. It is one of the UK’s oldest and most respected trade associations and its tireless efforts in promoting industry standards are renowned. I look forward to contributing to their future endeavours.”