Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it necessary for me to force test a CE / UKCA marked door/gate/barrier on installation?

A: Yes. The initial type testing done to achieve the conformity mark would have been carried out on a single sample, in a very controlled environment without many of the factors which may affect performance on site. There will be a reduced number of tests required in comparison with the testing required for the initial type test but these will confirm that the system as installed achieves the level of safety required. It will additionally provide a benchmark for the ongoing reliability and performance of the system and of course provides evidence in the event of an incident that the installation company left the system in a safe condition. See DHF TS 013-1 section 6 and/or consider our industrial & garage door safety training course.

Q: The gate I am maintaining does not have safety edges – do I need to quote for them?

A: The relevant product standard, EN 12453:2017 + A1:2021, gives options for controlling moving parts hazards which are:

• Human visual control (hold to run)
• Safe contact (safety edges or inherent force limitation)
• Non-contact (light grids or laser scanners)

None of these options describe in detail how to achieve the requirements, they simply provide the necessary performances required in each case. It may be that a gate uses a hold to run system in which case, as long as the minimum level of compliance has been reached then no further safety strategy would be required.

Where safe contact is the chosen form of safety, then it may be achieved by safety edges, inherent force limitation in the drive unit, or a combination of the two, where inherent force limitation has been proven to be ineffective – eg close to a hinge or at sliding gate draw-in points.

In the event that non-contact presence detection is chosen, this can be provided by light grids or laser scanners, without any additional form of safety. It is therefore necessary to assess the hazards, identify which system was provided by the manufacturer and decide whether the system employed achieves compliance.  See DHF TS 013-1 sections 5, 6 & 7 and/or consider our powered gate & barrier safety training course.