The report indicates that the woman , who was in her 40s at the time of the incident , suffered a serious brain injury and is now using a wheelchair as a result of her injuries .

The civil action follows a previous criminal case in which the company responsible , who employed the plaintiff at the time , was prosecuted for a number of breaches of health and safety legislation in relation to the safety of the gate . It appears that the gate in question did not have adequate force limitation protection in an area where a person could be entrapped by the gate .

“ The central standard for automated gate safety is EN 12453 ; this standard has been in use since 2000 with very little change to the requirements for safety in that time ,” explains DHF ’ s Senior Training and Compliance Officer , Nick Perkins . “ When we assess the 20 or more incidents

that have sadly led to death , injury and prosecution over the past 10 years , we see that had the standard been applied , the incident would have been avoided .”

The standard requires that the area surrounding the gate should be safe between ground level and 2.5 metres . All hazards that people can reach should be protected such that either the gate cannot make contact at all , or that if it

can , the force it can apply to a person must be limited to the levels of force and time prescribed by EN 12453 . This does not just apply to the main closing edges , but to all reachable reducing gaps and points of impact .

“ Considering the vast numbers of automated entrances in service , there are thankfully relatively few incidents with automated gates but when things do go wrong , the outcome can

be devastating ,” says Nick . “ The recently improved DHF COP document , DHF TS 013:2021-1 , provides all the guidance necessary to ensure automated gates and traffic barriers are safe to legal limits . All companies and persons with responsibilities in management , supervision or working on automated gates on site should be aware of the rules explained in TS 013 .” DHF runs nationally accredited training courses

that provide a level 2 qualification for safety , whilst for managers , supervisors and the self-employed , it offers a level 4 legislation qualification . DHF TS 013-3 provides valuable guidance for owners and managers procuring new systems and maintaining existing systems in their care .

“ We should like to stipulate that there is absolutely no need for automated gates to be unsafe for people ,” concludes Nick . “ The pain and suffering inflicted on victims , their family members and others affected is totally unnecessary when systems are installed and maintained according to national and European standards . This common-sense approach also avoids the financial damage caused by criminal prosecutions and civil actions for damages that routinely result following such a tragedy .” DHF ’ s continuing commitment to tackling the

thorny issue of gate safety has shone a much-needed spotlight on unsafe automated gates and raised awareness of what proper installation and maintenance should look like , in addition to how to prevent accidents . It continues to educate and inform professional installers , industry contacts and the general public on the dangers centred around poorly installed and maintained powered gates , in addition to how to report an unsafe gate and what to look for . Through its training programmes , technical specifications , and collaborative working , DHF has seen an encouraging improvement in the quality of gate installations as well as the knowledge of installers in the UK , and it will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the risk of injury , or death , caused by automated gates is eliminated .

www . dhfonline . org . uk

Stellar ’ s unique flush aesthetics have given the multi-award-winning aluminium system a competitive edge to capitalise on high-end projects in the domestic sector . The ability to secure lucrative domestic projects with Stellar is a view shared by one of Heritage Trade Frames ’ installer customers , Oswestry Windows and Doors . Matthew Dunne-Smith , Owner , said : “ We ’ ve secured several high-end

projects recently thanks to Stellar . When consumers see the unique aesthetics and the modern , contemporary flush styling they are sold . It offers a clear unique selling point that allows us to sell with complete confidence when it comes to securing higher value projects .”

Stellar is the only aluminium system on the market to offer a fully flush casement option . It uses the patented Reverse Butt Joint , which means that no

dummy sashes or reverse adaptor profiles are needed . This creates a glazing area that ’ s up to 12 % larger . It also delivers products that can be genuinely flush on both the inside and outside , creating the sleek , sophisticated aesthetic homeowners want .

Then there ’ s the immaculate finish that is so important on high value projects . Stellar is a pre-gasketed system that uses patented knock-in beading . This leaves a neat , clean finish on the

gasket line as well as making installation quicker and easier . The powder coating uses a marine grade finish as standard and every product is inspected

at a distance of one metre , far in excess of the three metres that ’ s the industry requirement .

www . stellaraluminium . co . uk