Gate Users
It is estimated that nearly 300,000 new automated gates are being installed every year, in a wide range of settings, including private residences, housing developments, commercial properties and schools / nurseries & education centres.
Combine this with the number of existing gates in the field and it is likely that there are currently in excess of three million gates in existence.
The owner of any gate has a duty of care to ensure that the gate is safe and regularly maintained – just as you would be required to maintain the safety of a car. Yet recent surveys have showed a staggering 90% of gates have been shown to be unsafe.
Gate Safe Guides
Gate Safe has developed a series of practical guides to provide advice on improving automated gate safety. Download our free Gate Safe Guide for Homeowners : Are your home’s automated gates safe? to help ensure that the automated gate designed to protect you and your family is safe and legally compliant.
Download your free HOME OWNERS GUIDE
Gate Safe estimates that there are nearly 32,000 schools in the UK, based on recent survey activity which showed as many as 90% of gates audited were unsafe, there are potentially 28,800 unsafe gates in a school setting. Is yours one of them?
Download your free SCHOOLS GUIDE
Automated gates provide crucial security and control over who can access commercial properties but they are classed as machinery and must be legally compliant and safe for anyone to use.
Download your free COMMERCIAL PREMISES GUIDE
We also have a DISPUTE RESOLUTION GUIDE which you can download HERE.
If you can’t find the information you are looking for in our guides, please contact us with any questions:
email info@gate-safe.org or call +01303 840117
Gate Safe MOT
To the untrained eye, there is no difference in the appearance of a safe or unsafe gate. The Gate Safe MOT provides a clear visual reference to indicate that a gate has been installed / maintained in line with best industry practice. Only Gate Safe installers are eligible to fit the Gate Safe MOT and the benefits include:
- Setting your business apart from the competition by demonstrating best practice and an over-riding commitment to the safety of any automated gate installation installed / maintained by your company
- The MOT needs to be renewed on a maximum of an annual basis maximum, so the scheme will help to boost customer loyalty and retention – no gate owner will be keen to have a gate which has a clear reference to the fact that the regular service has been overlooked
- The MOT offers a natural branding exercise for your business, providing a clear reference to your company to anyone that uses the gate
More details on the Gate Safe MOT can be found in the Members area.
We hope that you will find the MOT beneficial in maintaining the highest standard of safety for your gate.
If you have any comments / feedback on this new initiative we would be pleased to hear from you.
If my gate displays a Gate Safe MOT sticker, does that mean that Gate Safe has checked the gate?
No, with over 3000+ installers on the Gate Safe register it is simply not possible to audit the work of all of our installers. However, by having a Gate Safe MOT sticker on your gate you can be assured that the company you are using has undergone specialist training to help their installers understand what constitutes a safe and legally compliant gate. All Gate Safe installers receive updates on latest best practice, and have access to our experts via the Gate Safe helpline if they have any queries in relation to a particular installation.
What do I do if the MOT is out of date?
If you have not received a letter from your installer suggesting a routine maintenance visit, we suggest that you contact them direct – the details will be listed on the MOT sticker. If the installer fails to arrange a visit, click here to FIND AN INSTALLER from this website.
Will I be charged for the MOT? If so, how much?
The MOT is part of the required periodic / regular (according to the type of usage) maintenance of your automated gate. The cost of the maintenance visit is set by your installer but will depend on the level of service required. The MOT sticker is provided by your installer as part of the maintenance charge.
My sticker is no longer visible / peeling off, what do I do?
All MOT stickers have been designed with the need for durability / the ability to withstand the challenges of the outdoor environment, so if you can’t read the detail it is probably out of date and the gate is due for a service. However, in the unlikely event that the sticker becomes unstuck / is no longer legible, please contact your Gate Safe installer.
How will I know if the MOT is out of date? Open all
As per the original car road tax discs, each year the colour of the MOT sticker will change making it easier to identify an out of date MOT. Of course, the date of the last MOT is also clearly visible on the sticker.
Independent Gate Assessments / Surveys
Unsure about a gate that has been installed at your home, school or commercial or industrial premises? As a completely independent body with a long-standing reputation in gate safety, Gate Safe is able to provide a full risk assessment to ensure your gate meets the relevant legal requirements and is operating safely.
Gate Safe can undertake an independent site visit to check the gate over and provide a detailed report summarizing the findings, contact us for further details / prices. We can also undertake a desk based risk assessment of an automated gate.
Look at the Gate Safe Specification Tool to establish an understanding of what is required to deliver a safe gate.
Visit our Survey Case Studies page for real life examples.
Report an Unsafe Gate
If you think you have an unsafe gate and want to seek further advice, contact your nearest Gate Safe installer.
We urge EVERYONE to act responsibly and to play their part in ensuring no further accidents or fatalities occur as a result of an unsafe gate.
Your actions could save a life!
Residential FAQs
Further advice
I have an existing manual gate, which was professionally installed. If I use a qualified electrician to install the automated gate kit I recently purchased, will my gate still be safe?
No. You should only use a trained gate automation installer to upgrade manual gates unless your electrician has had specific automated gate training.
What standard do I need to look out for on an automated gate kit?
Unless you are a fully trained Gate Safe Aware installer, the purchase of an automatic gate kit should be avoided. These kits are typically supplied without sufficient safety for a fully automated gate.
I have a gate that was installed pre the 1998 legislation, does it need to be made safe?
Yes the gate should be upgraded to ensure safe operation. Installation prior to 1998 does not mean it is exempt from the regulations, and prosecution could be sought in the case of accident or injury.
I’m buying a property with an automated gate fitted, is there a certificate I should ask for to confirm the gate is safe and in good working order?
if you are buying a gate you should check that the gate is UKCA / CE marked and features a UKCA or CE plaque
I’ve seen an electric gate at my child’s school which does not appear to have any safety features, who do I report it to?
Immediately bring this to the attention of the Headteacher and ask them to look at the Gate Safe web site for clarification of the requirements.
About Electric Gates
Should electric gates be installed by a professional?
Yes because it is only a professional that has been trained to a high standard that will understand the complexities of installing an automatic gate and who will also appreciate the importance of gate safety by design.
How does an automatic gate stop?
An automatic gate will stop when it has run its course (the motor pushes the gate backwards and forwards), when there is power failure or if it comes into contact with something or someone that activates a safety feature such as a pressure edge or photocell / light curtain.
How does an electric gate work?
The gate is powered by a motor, which will be activated by one of numerous control devices such as a radio zapper, intercom, key fob etc.
How do you stop an electric gate from closing?
There should be two different types of safety devices fitted to an automatic gate. Typically this would include photocells (magic eyes) or light curtains that would stop the gate closing on a person or a vehicle. Photocells and light curtains work by signals being sent from the transmitter to the receiver. If an object / person obstructs that signal, this will activate the safety procedure. The other would normally be pressure / safety edges fitted to protect the various trap points on a gate, which when activated would stop the gate, reverse a short way and then stop the gate. If wired correctly the gate would not move again until the gate received a further signal to open.
Who is responsible for checking if my electric gates at home are safe and compliant?
As the owner/operator of the gate you would have a responsibility to ensure that the gate is safe for anyone using it
When does a gate become a machine?
The gate is only considered a machine when it is automated so the machine consists of the gate, motor and all the control devices.
Are electric gates subject to planning consent?
The automation itself is not subject to planning but if a new gate that is going to be automated is installed in addition to any fencing over a metre high, it would typically need planning consent. Always check with your local council.
My automatic gate was installed ten years ago, does that mean it will no longer be compliant / safe?
That would depend on the original installation but if the gate is ten years old or you do not know the history of the gate, you should have it checked by a Gate Safe installer to ensure its safe operation.
How reliable are automated gates?
All automated gates can be extremely reliable if they are maintained adequately (all automated gates should be maintained a minimum of every six months, more often if the gate is in frequent use). We are aware of gates that have been installed for over 10 years, which have yet to present any problems – but they are maintained with meticulous regularity.
As an electric gate owner, what are the legal implications for me if a gate on my property causes an accident?
As an end user you have a duty of care to ensure that the gate is safe and that any users of the gate can operate it safely. In the event of an accident you would be liable as the owner/operator of a defective machine.
About Gate Safe
What is Gate Safe?
Gate Safe is a charity set up to raise awareness of the safety issues associated with automated gates and barriers to EVERYONE in the industry ranging from designers & manufacturers, users, specifiers, construction companies, health and safety personnel / associations, key trade industry bodies and most importantly the installers.
