With most students back to school this week, keeping pupils safely inside and unauthorised visitors out is a vital concern for any school or education facility.
Automated (powered) gates can help safeguard your site, but because they are classed as machinery, they must be designed, installed and maintained to a high standard. If not, the very system meant to protect can cause serious harm.
Best Practice for Automated School Gates
Risk assessment
Before commissioning a new install have a trained, competent installer complete a risk assessment that considers site layout, usage patterns, pedestrians, and emergency access.
Safety features
HSE guidance is clear: a powered gate must respond in a safe way whenever anyone interacts with it, including foreseeable misuse (e.g. children playing near or on it) and in bad weather.
For automatic gates and barriers in schools, at least two different safety technologies should be present typically photocells or safety (pressure) edges positioned correctly to prevent crushing. These safety mechanisms should ensure the gate stops and reverses if people or objects are detected.
UK standards
Automatic gates and barriers must meet BS EN 12453 / 12604 (safety and mechanical requirements) and be CE/UKCA marked, with a Declaration of Conformity in the handover pack. However, these alone don’t guarantee a safe installation, both the gate design and installation are equally important.
Relevant British standards for Automatic Gates:
| BS EN 13241 – 1:2003 | Specifies the safety and performance requirements for doors, gates and barriers, intended for installation in areas in the reach of persons, and for which the main intended uses are giving safe access for goods and vehicles accompanied or driven by persons in industrial, commercial or residential premises. |
| BS EN 12453:2017 |
Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates. Safety in use of power operated doors. Requirements and test methods This shows the importance of the gate support structure for manual and automated gates, if the pier / post is not fit for purpose this type of accident is inevitable. |
| BS EN 12604:2017+A1:2020 | Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates. Mechanical aspects. Requirements and test methods. |
| ISO 13857:2019 | Safety of machinery. Safety distances to prevent hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs. |
| BS EN 12978:2003+A1:2009 | Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates. Safety devices for power operated doors and gates. Requirements and test methods. |
| BS EN ISO 13854:2019 | Safety of machinery. Minimum gaps to avoid crushing of parts of the human body. |
Maintenance
Regular checks and maintenance are essential to keep school gates and barriers safe for all staff and students. Service at least every six months (more if usage is heavy) by a suitably qualified installer. This aligns with sector guidance and keeps you ahead of any faults. Even a correctly installed gate needs routine checks as force limits, sensor alignment and environmental factors can change over time.
Full training should be given to staff, when an automated gate is installed, including a manual. A member of staff should regularly check gates and barriers.
5 regular checks to do today:
- Check Safety devices. Confirm photocells are clean and clear of debris, test safety edges stop and reverse the gate on contact.
- Check Manual release. Check the manual release procedure. Staff should be aware of the procedure and have easy access to the manual release keys. Your maintenance company can advise and demonstrate this if needed.
- Check for wear and tear. Check hinges, posts and fixings for any wear or corrosion and book repairs promptly.
- Check the track and opening area. Ensure the track and opening area of the gate is free of debris.
- Check area around the gate. Consider any changes around the gate that may impact the safety.
Choosing the right gate for your site
- Swing vs sliding. Swing gates are often cost-effective but sensitive to wind and slopes; sliding (ideally cantilever) can be more stable and reliable.
- Entry methods. Your access control choice affects both security and safety. From push buttons to ANPR and Biometric.
- Aesthetics. Robust, powder-coated steel that matches your perimeter railings looks professional and resists corrosion.
How MES Systems can help
At MES Systems, we help schools and education facilities plan, modernise and maintain gate systems so they’re simple to use and compliant. We can be your single contractor for any gate project, handling everything under one roof, from supply and installation to full project delivery.
- Safety & compliance reviews. We can survey your existing gates against current best practice (BS EN 12453/12604 and HSE guidance) and provide a clear action plan.
- Design & installation. If you are planning new works, we will help you pick the right mechanism (swing vs sliding), entry method and layout to separate vehicles and pedestrians.
- Complete project delivery. Including electrical works, civils and underground ducting, tarmacking and data/communications.
- Full integration. We can provide a full fire and security package for schools and education facilities, integrating automated gates with access control systems, CCTV, and intruder alarms.
- Planned maintenance. Six-monthly servicing to satisfy audits and inspections.
We are a Gate Safe aware installer, meaning we adhere to best practice for gate installation and design.
Gate safety is an ongoing process of good design, routine checks and planned maintenance. Get a quote today.
