The recent announcement that the Director of a Cheshire based gate automation company will face charges of gross-negligence manslaughter only serves to illustrate the grave consequences of ignoring Health & Safety law.

Semelia Campbell (aged 6 years) died on 28 June 2010 when she was crushed between the gate and a retaining wall at the Manchester housing development where she lived. Police were called to the site in Maine Road, where they found the electronic gate was stuck fast in the closed position. After considerable efforts by the emergency services Semelia was freed and taken to hospital. She never regained consciousness and later died.

Following Semelia’s death, the HSE issued a safety alert, in which it warned that limiting the closing force of gates alone will not provide sufficient protection to meet relevant standards, and instructed installers to fit additional safety features to gates in public areas. The alert also reminded those in control of the maintenance of electric gates to review their risk assessments and take necessary action where required to upgrade them.

At EGD (EasyGates Distribution) we have been strong advocates of pushing health & safety requirement awareness for many years, and have provided customised training programs to countless gate automations companies throughout the UK. It appears that we still have a great many installers out there who do not yet fully understand the requirements, risks or indeed the consequences for the automation company should things go wrong.

EGD provide customised training throughout the year, covering the following disciplines: Machinery Directive requirements (what is it? how does it apply to gates? what makes it law?) Gate Risk Assessment training (hazard identification, estimation & elimination) Gate force testing (Why? How? Where do we test?) Producing technical files (what is a technical file? what should it contain?)

Our new training facility is situated within our offices in the West Midlands, for more information on our facilities, and the courses we offer, visit our website.

Training days are still available for March and April 2013, to book your place now please call us on 0845 0545070 or e-mail enquiries@easygates.co.uk

Further articles of interest can be found here:

• www.dhfpoweredgategroup.co.uk
• www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/poweredgates.htm
• www.egduk.com/news.php