A Moving Gate Can Trap More Than a Vehicle

Controls to confirm

• Keep people clear: use the designated pedestrian entrance and stay outside the gate's full movement area. Report missing guards or access to trapping gaps; do not reach through the gate or follow vehicles through it.
• Confirm protective functions: arrange competent inspection and the checks specified in the gate instructions, including safety edges and any required force tests. A vehicle-detection beam alone does not prove pedestrian protection. Never test the gate with a person or bypass a protective device.
• Prepare for a fault or entrapment: ensure responsible staff know the approved stopping, isolation and emergency-release procedure. If protection is damaged or unreliable, stop use, secure the area and obtain competent repair. Leave the gate safe and verify protection before returning it to service.

Today’s action

Walk the entrance with the responsible supervisor from outside the movement zone. Confirm the pedestrian route, guard condition, inspection status and access to emergency instructions; resolve defects before use.

Source guidance

Authoritative guidance checked 30 October 2026. Apply the legal requirements and approved procedures for your location.

• HSE — Ensuring powered doors and gates are safe: trapping gaps, guarding, sensors and competent testing
• HSE — Powered gates: responsibilities for maintenance, safe isolation and emergency-release instructions