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Safety the New Hot-Button Issue
For Gate Operators
Safety has become a very important issue when it comes to gate
operators. Over the years gate operators have basically gone
unregulated and, therefore, a lot of systems were not safe for
the home, or business, application. Today, they are much
safer. All new gate operators have a built-in sensor to
automatically reverse when the gate comes into contact with an
immovable object, after a certain amount of pressure is
applied when the gate meets the obstruction. But the federal
government has stepped in to, at this point, at least advise
customers to take advantage of other means of safety for their
gates and operators to further insure the safety of their
vehicles and, more importantly, their loved ones.
There are many ways to insure that your gate will be safe when
operated and the new UL325 recommendations actually spell them
out for you. For years, when dealers installed a gate operator
and the customer didn’t want to use the “auto-close” feature,
the dealer usually didn’t worry about the safety issue. But in
recent years there have been several injuries and deaths due
to unsafe electrically operated gates that have caused the
government to enlist Underwriters Laboratories to develop
safety guidelines for gate operators. They have done so with
what is commonly referred to as UL325.
The biggest, and best,
recommendation to come from UL325 has been that every operated
gate should have two safety features to insure that the gate
does not close when the opening is occupied by a vehicle or
other object. Of course, the first safety feature is already
included in the operator with the “auto-reverse” feature on
today’s operators. But UL325 states that you should have some
other type of safety feature such as Photo-beams, safety edges
or loops that cover the area of your swinging, or rolling,
gate. This will insure that if there is an object in the
travel area of your gate that it will reverse when it senses
and obstruction, or it may not even start to close at all.
As of right now, these recommendations from Underwriters
Laboratories are not law and, therefore, are not mandated.
But, gate operator dealers and installers have been cautioned
about the lack of use of the appropriate safety features
because if there should be an accident and the proper safety
features were knowingly left out, the installer may very well
be liable. Some dealers have produced “waivers” that they get
the homeowner or other responsible person to “sign off” on the
lack of safety features but, in most cases, these waivers have
been deemed inadequate for an installer’s defense. The proper
action for an installer should be to insist on the appropriate
safety or not install the job at all.
Don't put off enjoying the security
and convenience of an automatic gate opener. Shop online,
email us,
or pick up the phone and call toll free 877-275-1270 for help
with no obligation to buy.
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