The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), the UK trade association for locksmithing, is the latest joiner of a national safety campaign.
Campaigners have declared a week of action in October in a bid to improve the safety of automated gates in the UK; Gate Safety Week (October 12 to 18).
The campaign is being organised by the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) Powered Gate Group which comprises manufacturers, suppliers, installers and maintainers of powered automatic gates and gate automation equipment. In recent years, the DHF reports, three children and three adults have been killed in gate accidents. It is estimated there are more than 500,000 automated gates in service in the UK, yet the industry says just 30 per cent of these are safe to use. Campaigns and activities during Gate Safety Week, and in the weeks leading up to the event, will give two key messages:
Properly installed and maintained automated gates are perfectly safe to use; and
All those responsible for automated gates – owners, maintainers, installers – must ensure gates are safe to use.
The MLA promotes locksmiths’ standards of conduct and practice as well as licensing its approved company locksmiths to ensure they have been vetted, are regularly inspected and have met minimum competence requirements. Steffan George, the MLA’s director of business development, said: “The MLA has always worked closely with the DHF and we’re delighted to promote this important message of automated gate security.
“With locksmiths doing more and more in the realms of general security, and a number getting involved in installing powered gates, we’re keen to promote the message of ensuring all gates are safe and we’re therefore happy to back Gate Safety Week.”
Guidance for security professionals, gate owners and those responsible for specifying, managing and maintaining automatic gates is on the Gate Safety Week website. This includes guidance on safety legislation and a detailed rundown of the safety features to look for on a powered gate.
