The safety of the automatic gate: what you need to know

Safety rules for automatic gates have the goal to reduce any kind of accidents to the minimum.

Choosing to install an automatic gate implies the assumption of some safety responsibilities that mainly concern the risks that could derive from the machine use.

A malfunction due to wear, the lack of periodic maintenance of the engine and the parts connected to it or an installation error, can be at the origin of unexpected automation behavior.

The automatic gate is a machine that, in order to be safe, needs to be correctly placed and perceived in the environment. This means that its position, as well as that of the moving hinged or sliding doors and the moment of the opening and closing action must be unequivocally signaled so as to invite caution.

Let’s see together what are the rules to be respected for maximum safety.

Safety is not (only) a matter of common sense

“I think it’s safe!”. You can’t think it’s safe, you must be sure of it. Risk assessment is not a topic that can be discussed on a personal level.

To ensure that a machine works in a manner that is considered safe, it must be checked and certified in full compliance with the construction, installation, signaling and correct maintenance rules.

A professional installer must know these rules because it’s important to consider them right from the design stage in order to be able to exclude mounting options that would not allow compliance with the standards. In fact, there are rules that can exclude some types of installation.

The essential accessories for the safety of the automatic gate

When you have to install an automatic gate, both for vehicles and for pedestrians, you must draw up a list of safety components that you definitely need. The main ones are:

• Signaling accessories such as flashing lights, traffic lights
• Photocells and accessories for emergency locking (such as buttons)
• Mechanical accessories such as safety locks
• Access control accessories such as keyboards, blinds, tag and card readers, keypads for entering codes, biometric readers (fingerprints)

VDS Automation also makes complete automation kits available to its installers, already equipped with all safety accessories. Click here to request more information.

Automatic gate and road safety

When your customer thinks about installing an automatic gate, he probably already has in mind the place where to put it: it’s usually the automation of an existing manual gate, other times it’s a new installation. In any case, your evaluation as an expert installer will be essential to allow the customer to make the best choice.

In fact, transforming a manual gate into an automatic one isn’t always possible.

In addition, a number of other characteristics of the intended use of the machine must also be taken into account, and therefore:

• Type of gate (swing or sliding)

• Opening / closing position (ascent, descent, curve, corridor, etc)
• Position of the gate in relation to the public carriageway
• Frequency and type of use (only for vehicles or for vehicles and pedestrians)
• Type of motor and type of installation desired

All these characteristics, specific to each project, can lead to the need to comply with various safety standards.

Machinery directive and type of automatic gate (swing or sliding)

We have talked extensively about the Machinery Directive (read more about the Machinery Directive) and you already know that this standard requires you to pay attention to the conformity marks (CE) of all components so that as an installer you become legally responsible for them.

VDS Automation automatic gates – a recognized manufacturer specialized in automation for gates, doors, barriers and windows – are certified and produced in Italy by a team of specialized technicians. VDS Automation also ensures you all the assistance and training you need as an installer and offers you actuators, individual components or systems complete with all the elements in practical installation kits.

If you have chosen to offer your customer quality components you should not have problems with the regulatory part and the certifications which you must always deliver to the customer once installation is complete.

To know more:

• For condominium installations, here are the specific rules you need to know
• How to secure a sliding gate

Distance from the public road and traffic rules

f a customer asks you to install a gate at the entrance to his property, whether it is private or in a condominium or company, the first thing to check is the distance from the road or any public driveway areas.

You should know that:

• The gate must be at least 4.5 meters from the edge of the carriageway. Respecting this distance allows the car to stop in front of the gate to wait for it to open without blocking the flow of vehicles on the road. At the same time it guarantees the safety of re-entry into public traffic.

Only on roads considered to be of “minor entity” and on private roads, the gate may not be set back but a remote opening system must be provided. The road categories are regulated by the individual municipalities.

• In the case of a swing gate, these must open inside the property

• For access to the private area from the public one (and vice versa), therefore for the entry and exit of vehicles, the law provides for the obligation to enter vehicles from the front. This means that it is necessary to calculate, within the property, an adequate maneuvering space for the vehicle that must always enter and exit in forward gear.

Be careful if the exit from the gate is on a sidewalk

n some cases the gate that separates the private property is located close to a sidewalk. In simpler words, the vehicle exiting the automatic gate must cross the sidewalk before reaching the roadway.

A position that must require some extra attention, especially if the gate is not set back for one of the reasons indicated in the previous paragraph.

In this case it is necessary to focus on the need to exit and re-enter the gate first of all without endangering pedestrians. There must be good visibility and sufficient stopping space off the roadway. During all maneuvers you must always enjoy full control of the pedestrian crossing.

In these cases, moreover, it is almost always necessary to provide a driveway that avoids the stop of unauthorized vehicles at the entrance to the gate, blocking access.

Do you always need the pedestrian gate?

t’s usual to see installations of automatic gates that include a second pedestrian gate, automatic or not, usually next to the driveway one.

But what does the law say about the second gate? Is it always necessary?

First of all we can distinguish a domestic use from a professional or even public one. In private buildings, both single houses and condominiums, there are pedestrian gates that allow access to pedestrians and bicycles without necessarily having to open the driveway. It is not mandatory, given the low traffic, but it is recommended precisely for safety reasons: during the movement of an automatic gate, in fact, it is necessary to maintain a safety distance and wait for the end of travel. The pedestrian gate usually has no automation and can be opened remotely (perhaps from the intercom) allowing the safe passage of people.

Even the pedestrian gate can be automated with different types of machines: from automatic and remote swing opening (remote control, app or intercom) to automatic closing systems only, which allow, for example, to avoid leaving the gate unintentionally open.

In professional or public use they can be used in many areas with controlled access. Public transport stations, companies, sports facilities for example, often use a form of pedestrian turnstile gate.

21 September 2022