Premier Security Consultants is playing an active part in an action campaign designed to dramatically improve the safety of automated gates in the UK.
The Door & Hardware Federation’s Automated Gate Group has announced that October 9th – 15th will be ‘Gate Safety Week’. But in the weeks running up to the event, Premier Security Consultants, based in Hainault, Essex and fellow DHF Automated Gate Group members will be campaigning hard to raise awareness of the risks associated with automated gates, with this year’s campaign focusing on safety in the school environment.
For its part in the campaign, Premier Security Consultants will be is contacting MPs and local councils in Havering, Enfield, Towers Hamlets, Newham, Epping Forest, Barking and Redbridge, Essex to make them aware of the potential dangers of automatic gates which do not meet current standards.
“More than two thirds of all automated gates installed in the UK do not comply with latest legislation and could pose a serious safety risk,” said Premier Security Consultants MD Neil Johns. “Even more worrying is the fact that unsafe installations are still being carried out by unqualified installers and gate companies who are quite willing to take dangerous short cuts in both gate manufacture and installation.
“Gate safety campaigners such as ourselves have organised Gate Safety Week to raise awareness of the dangers that automated gates pose, and to advise as many people as possible on how to choose safe gates or make their existing automated gates safe.”
Britain’s leading manufacturers, suppliers, installers and maintainers of automated gates and gate automation equipment, who make up the DHF Automated Gate Group, are also planning special events focusing on gate safety. In addition, the DHF is partnering with a number of influential organisations in the safety, enforcement, inspection, education and security sectors who will be lending their support to the campaign in the coming months.
The DHF set up its Autinated Gate Group on behalf of the UK gate automation industry with encouragement from the Health & Safety Executive following the tragic deaths of two young children in accidents involving powered gates. It has developed extensive safety guidance which is followed by all responsible automatic gate installers. It runs a training course which covers all aspects of safe gate installation which is recognised as the most stringent gate safety training course in Europe.
Added Neil Johns: “With around 70 per cent of existing automated gate installations proving to be non compliant, householders and all those responsible for automated gates must take safety very seriously. We’re confident that Gate Safety Week will play a vital part in significantly raising levels of gate safety and we are pleased to be making a real contribution.”
