18 | JULY 2019
News
Installer News is
sponsored by FENSA
FATAL INDUSTRIAL
DOOR ACCIDENT
HIGHLIGHTS
IMPORTANCE OF
PROPER TRAINING
Tamworth-based trade association, DHF (Door & Hardware Federation),
is ‘hammering home’ the significance of appropriate training, following
the tragic death of a woman killed in an industrial door incident.
The accident, which took place in August 2016, and described by
Health & Safety Executive (HSE) inspector, Graeme Warden, as ‘one
that could have been avoided’, has resulted in Cambridgeshire-
based electrical company, BS Graves (Electrical) Limited, being
fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs amounting to £6,500.
An inquest held in Hunting-
don last year, heard that 40-year-
old social worker, Heidi Chalkley’s
hands became trapped in the shut-
ter door mechanism as it opened.
She suffered multiple fractures to
her ribs, spine, arms and jawbone
and died at the scene. The in-
quest concluded that the cause of
death was misadventure because
she had attempted to ride up on
the door. The inquest also found
that the door was not as safe as it
should have been.
An investigation by the Health
and Safety Executive found that
sensors at the top of the door,
(which should have stopped it),
were incorrectly wired and did
not function properly as the door
opened. It was also found that BS
Graves (Electrical) Limited had
carried out work on the roller
shutter door at Ruth Bagnall Court
‘
a fatality that
could so easily
have been avoided
’
since 2012, and despite inspecting
the door a month prior to the acci-
dent, they had failed to check and
test the operation of the safety
systems on the door and identify
the fault. The company based in
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, pleaded
guilty at Peterborough Magistrates’
Court to breaching Section 3(1)
of the Health & Safety at Work etc
Act 1974.
“This type of incident has been
well documented in the past, with
similar accidents involving chil-
dren across Europe, initiating the
standard EN 12453 for this type of
door to include the need for pro-
tection to prevent an incident of
this nature,” explains DHF’s Senior
Training and Compliance Officer,
Nick Perkins.
“EN 12453 has, since 2000, re-
quired that doors with the ability
to lift persons be protected by one
of four safety strategies:
i. the door be operated in hold-
to-run by a trained user with full
sight of the door, or
ii. the door be torque limited
such that it cannot lift a person,
or
iii. high level fail-safe beams be
provided to detect a person being
lifted during opening, or
iv. the door be protected by
light curtains that prevent open-
ing if a person is present on the
door.
In the case of Heidi Chalkley,
the high-level beams were not
functional, despite being in-
stalled.”
Following the inquest, Mr War-
den highlighted a lack of appro-
priate training of employees at BS
Graves (Electrical) Limited.
“We continue to stress the vital
importance of the correct level of
training for all those with both
legal and moral responsibility for
the installation, maintenance, re-
pair and dismantling of potentially
dangerous equipment, such as
industrial doors,” says DHF’s CEO,
Bob Perry.
“Very tragically, this case has
resulted in a fatality that could
so easily have been avoided. It
is absolutely imperative that
those working on doors such as
this, are equipped with specialist
knowledge of applicable stand-
ards and legislation, together with
the technical expertise to identify
the hazard, assess and test the
presence and function of accept-
able protection systems. As this
tragedy illustrates quite clearly,
door system maintenance cannot
be achieved by visual inspection
alone or by those with insufficient
training, experience or test equip-
ment.”
DHF has published codes of
practice for the industrial door,
automated gate and barrier indus-
try and provides standards and
legislation training for all.
“We advise those with owner-
ship and management respon-
sibilities to ensure that their
maintenance contractors have the
professional training, qualifica-
tion, and equipment required, and
that managers, supervisors and
operatives are suitably trained in
the craft, legislation & standards.”
concludes Bob.
For further information regarding
technical specifications, please
visit DHF’s website: https://www.
dhfonline.org.uk/publications/
technical-specifications/1.htm
DHF represents all the key players in the following sectors: locks and building hardware, doorsets, industrial doors and shutters, domestic garage doors and automated gates.
With the ultimate aim of maintaining and raising quality standards throughout the industry, all DHF members must meet minimum standards of competence and customer
service. They all operate within a Code of Conduct governing standards of workmanship, quality assurance, training, safety, business integrity and CE marking compliance.