DHF (Door & Hardware Federation), is highlighting the importance of safety – and legal responsibilities – for owners of automated products through a series of free two-hour Zoom seminars. The first seminar, held on 23rd September, and delivered by DHF’s Senior Training and Compliance Officer, Nick Perkins, offered a guide for owners and managers of industrial doors, garage doors, powered gates and traffic barriers, including vehicle/loading bay doors, and vertically acting shutters over pedestrian access areas.
BSI Standards Publication
In outlining the requirements, Nick referred to BSI Standards Publication, BS EN 12453:2017: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates – safety in use of power operated doors – Requirements and testing methods, whereby systems should be ‘safe, appropriately maintained, and left in a safe condition following maintenance’.
In assisting this process, and in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive, DHF has devised a graded system of potential safety issues as being either ‘safety critical’ or ‘requiring improvement’, with red indicating that installations with safety critical defects should not be restored to service by the maintenance company, and amber indicating that these installations could be restored to service but only under client/owner instruction.
Legal minimum levels of protection
Nick also explains the legal minimum levels of protection with regards to moving parts, and the overall legal requirements of the owner, whether an individual or company.
In commenting on DHF’s first seminar, Dean Starkey, Chartered Building Surveyor, MRICS, said:
“I found the session both interesting and informative; it reinforces the need for specialist knowledge and expertise in this area to protect building users and managers.”
Safety and compliance
“Safety and compliance remain at the very heart of everything we do at DHF and we are delighted to continue to work for our members – and beyond – despite the on-going COVID-19 restrictions”, said DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “We are very pleased to have received such positive feedback from those who attended the first free Zoom seminar in September and will be rolling out these safety seminars on a regular basis, with the next one scheduled for the New Year. This is an exclusive offer for customers of DHF members.”
