The security of pupils, staff and visitors is of paramount importance to any learning setting which is why automated gates – an effective means of access control – regularly feature on a school site. However, Gate Safe, the charity founded in 2010 to tackle automated gate safety, has undertaken a nationwide survey of school gates which indicates that the very installations intended to improve safety, in an unacceptable number of cases, actually represent a clear danger.
Gate Safe surveyed 87 electric gates for schools across the country and the findings are deeply concerning:
- 87% of the swing gates only featured two hinges – which is contrary to the Gate Safe guidance supported by the updated British Standard BS EN 12604 which states that swing gates should not be capable of falling through a single point failure – such as a hinge breaking. Only 12% featured the recommended three hinges while only 1% of schools had gone the extra mile to fit a fourth hinge
- If a third hinge does not feature on the gate, a suitably robust fall arrest tether should be included in the installation but the survey revealed only 9% of the swing gates had been fitted with a tether
- Just over half of the gates reviewed only featured one pair of photocells (51%) which is inconsistent with providing the required level of non-contact safety. Furthermore an alarming 3% of gates were not even fitted with photocells (magic eyes)
- 22% of gates – just under a quarter – had either no safety edges or only one safety edge fitted, which would ensure that in the event of contact, the gate would reverse away from the person. Safety edges were more commonly seen than photocells when schools should be prioritising non-contact safety ie photocells (or light curtains / laser scanners)
- Hinge protection to prevent the risk of entrapment was also lacking on 34% of gates, with either zero or only one hinge featuring this safety measure
In addition to the worrying evidence above, the survey also revealed that where safety edges were fitted, many were incorrectly sited or incorrectly programmed – and some were not even working.
Commenting on the school survey findings, Gate Safe founder Richard Jackson said, “Parents send their children to school in the belief that they are placing them in a safe and secure setting. Having an unsafe gate on the premises represents a danger to pupils, staff and any visitors to the school. It is also a legal requirement – under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations – for schools to ensure the safety of any automated gates that feature on the site. There have already been serious accidents, and indeed a fatality, recorded in a school setting and we are also aware of numerous ‘near misses’ which usually result in Gate Safe being asked to attend the school to undertake an audit. We need schools to be more vigilant about automated gate safety and to adopt the recommended protocols that will deliver a safe – and legally compliant – gate BEFORE another accident or worse occurs. Gate Safe is actively working on a programme of activity to help raise awareness of this important safety issue amongst head teachers, school site managers, academy trusts, local authorities and other key stakeholders. Watch this space!”
