Safety Guidelines

Worried Your Gate System Isn’t Up to Safety Standards?

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United Fence will only service gate operators that are in compliance with the UL 325 and ASTM F2200 construction standards. Read below to make sure your gate operators are in compliance with the construction standards.

Potential hazards may include but are not limited to:

• Pinch points
• Entrapment areas: areas where an object can be caught or held in a position that increases the risk of injury
• Reach through hazards
• A horizontal sliding gate must be designed or screened to prevent persons from reaching through a gate, per standard ASTM F2200
• Absence of entrapment protection devices— two forms of entrapment protection devices for every automatic gate is required by UL 325 standards.

Without proper entrapment protection devices, the gate will not operate properly.

• Installation must include external sensing devices that protect against entrapment. Devices such as photo-eyes or contact sensing edges.
• Absence of vehicle protection devices— speed bumps, signs, hazard stripes, etc.
• Only install an automatic opener on gates used for vehicular traffic.
• The speed limit for vehicular traffic through the gate area is 5 mph.
• Absence of controlled pedestrian access— Pedestrians must be supplied with a separate access opening marked with a minimum of (2) easily visible warning signs on each side of the gate.

Only entrapment protection devices that have been verified and approved with a specific manufacturer’s model can be used as an approved UL device. Please check the manufactures published up-to-date lists to ensure the equipment is compliant with UL standards.

All gate operators require (2) means of entrapment protection in each direction of travel extending to slide, swing, vertical lift, and vertical pivot gate operators. Barrier arm operators are exempt when an arm doesn’t move within 16” of a rigid object.

Other guidelines to decrease the chance of any conceivable dangers or injuries:

• Keep the owner’s manual on-site and in a safe and easily accessible space.
• Periodically check all entrapment protection devices to make sure they are functioning properly.
• Test regularly and have a qualified service person make any necessary repairs or routine maintenance to gate hardware, access controls, or accessories.
• If any malfunction or irregularity occurs remove operator from service immediately and contact the installing or service dealer.
• To remove the gate operator from service, operate the gate to the fully open position and then shut off power to the operator on the service panel.
• Always keep people & objects away from a gate.
• Do not allow children to play in the operator area, near or with any gate-operating device.
• Be sure that warning signs are permanently and properly installed on both sides of the gate in an area where they are easily visible to traffic.
• Make sure pedestrians know and use the separate specified pedestrian entrance.
• Be sure that all access control devices are installed a minimum distance of 6” away from the gate and the gate operator, or in such a way that a person shall not be within touching distance of the gate or gate operator while using the device.
• Loops and loop detectors, photo-cells, and/or other equivalent devices, must be installed to prevent the gate from closing on vehicular traffic.
• Be sure that all persons who will use the gate system are familiar with the proper use of the gate/ gate operator and are familiar with the possible risks associated with the gate system.
• Use the emergency release only when the gate is not moving.