EN12453 SAFETY NORM

EN 12453     ENSURE SAFETY  AND PREVENT ENTRAPMENT- CRUSHING

Any gate or garage door opener is required by the European Union to attent a series of strict and restrictive mandatory regulations which clearly regulate the automation industry.

Any new or existing installation requires a declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer.

DUCATi not only self-certify his products, but also mandated International Notify body laboratories to perform full tests to certificate the compliance of the products to all applicables EN norms.

DUCATI ensure that the forces generated by a gate when meeting a person or an obstacle are limited and that they do not exceed the values specified in Annex A of BS EN 12453:2001.

The European Union has passed a series of laws which clearly regulate the automation industry. The full range of DUCATI’s products has been not only tested but also certified by international bodies to comply EN12453 EN12445 norms.

The final machine to be tested is composed by 2 foundamental elements: the structure ( gate or garage door) and the automation device. This 2 elements compose the machine: automated electric gate/ automated electric garage door.

Any new or existing installation requires a declaration of conformity issued by the final installer. The installer must test the final machine and attest the compliance to the latest European standards concerning impact forces in case of obstacle detection. Tests must be performed with a dinamoteter in precisely specified positions.

Ducati recommands the use of a dinamomenter as an ideal test equipment.

DUCATI devices are ready to achieve total safety even when installing in a variety of contexts. Thanks to these standards many businesses in automation industry choose DUCATI technology to ensure their installations meet the standards of safety their customers demand.

Warning:

• If there are parts of the gates where someone could become trapped or get crushed while it is moving, these need be protected. People could get injured, for example, as the bars of the gates pass the gate post.
• The gates must have an emergency release mechanism in case someone gets trapped.

 INSTALLERS MUST KNOW:

When you have installed the gates safely - and met all of the relevant safety requirements - you should apply a CE Mark, so people can be confident the job has been done properly. You must also keep details of the installation, and of any tests, in a technical file.

Standard:

BS EN 12453:2001 recommends a minimum level of safeguarding against the crushing hazard at the closing edge of the gate depending on the type of environment in which the gate is operating. The Standard defines 3 types of use:

Type 1 - The gate is only used by trained users and there is no intended, inadvertent or unauthorised access to it by members of the public.

Type 2 - A limited group of persons (for example persons sharing a block of flats) are trained to operate the gate and the gate is located in a public area.

Type 3 - Any person is free to operate the gate and the gate is in contact with the general public.

The Standard advises on the minimum levels of safeguarding of the main edge according to its type of use. Type 1 gates are not considered further in this safety notice because they are not located in the vicinity of the general public.

In the case of those powered gates categorised as Type 2 or Type 3 and which have automatic control, the advised level of safeguarding is to:

Limit forces according to Annex A of the Standard using force limitation devices or sensitive protective equipment

AND

Provide a means for the detection of the presence of a person or an obstacle standing on the floor at one side of the gate.

Alternatively, a means for detection of the presence a person, which is designed in a way that in no circumstances can that person be touched by the moving gate leaf, can be provided.

Discussion:

In a significant number of gate installations, the type of use may not have been taken into account during the design stage, with the consequence that the installations may not comply with the safeguarding measures recommended in the standard.

Those who manufacture, install, use or have control of powered gates should assess the risk to health and safety posed by the gate(s), in particular the circumstances of the installation. Certain circumstances, such as the gate being located in the vicinity of the general public, would be considered to be high risk.

BS EN 12453:2001 advises that adopting one or a combination of measures including creating safety distances, installing guards, shaping the leaf surfaces, operating the gate in hold to run, limiting the forces and installing sensitive protective equipment will achieve a safe state.

It is HSE's view that the force limitation function on its own is unlikely to be sufficiently reliable to prevent a person being trapped or crushed. In accordance with the recommendations of BS EN 12453:2001, where the force limitation technique is used in Type 2 or Type 3 installations with automatic operation, additional safeguarding techniques should be used to reduce the likelihood of hazardous situations occurring.

In some installations, single or twin photoelectric beams can be used as an additional safeguard. However,  these do not guarantee person detection and the prevention of crushing without an integrated force limitation and obstacle detection safety system.

Photoelectric beams, when suitably installed and configured, are an additional safeguarding device, to be used in combination with force limitation.

An important consideration with the operation of automatic gates is the emergency arrangements to release someone should a crushing, shearing or drawing-in incident occur and the person remains trapped. Many designs of drive units require the use of a release key and lever to disconnect the drive from the gate and allow it to be moved manually. In such circumstances, access to the release key is critical to the quick release of the gate and so arrangements should be in place to ensure that release keys and release instructions are readily available to all authorised users of the gate.

• DUCATI ensure that the forces generated by a gate when meeting a person or an obstacle are limited and that they do not exceed the values specified in Annex A of BS EN 12453:2001.
• These forces should be measured in accordance with BS EN 12445:2001. "Industrial commercial and garage doors and gates. Safety in use of power operated doors. Test methods" and the performance of the system validated before the gate is put into use.
• Forces should be periodically re-measured and checked as part of the planned preventative maintenance schedule for the gates.
• In addition to force limitation, additional safeguards, such as pressure sensitive strips on the closing edge and photoelectric sensing devices, should be fitted where the risk assessment identifies the gate as high risk, in that it is operating automatically in a public place where children and other members of the public may be present.
• Persons or organisations in control of powered gates should periodically review their risk assessments to ensure that they identify any changes to the environment or operating conditions and that they have taken appropriate steps to address them. This is particularly important when the responsibility for management of the gate passes from one person or organisation to another.
• Other hazards associated with the opening and closing of the gate should also be addressed - these will include crushing, shearing, impact and drawing-in hazards. Examples of other hazard points are described in BS EN 12453: 2001 and include: the opening edge; gaps in the gate where they pass fixed structures; and at the drive mechanism. (Note: force limitation on its own is also unlikely to be sufficient for these hazards).
• All safety devices and features should be checked on a regular basis and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions to ensure they continue to function as designed to ensure that safety is maintained. This should be specified in a planned preventative maintenance schedule agreed by persons responsible for the gate's management and their appointed maintenance company.

References:

Further information for gate  installers, including procedures that need to be followed, and instructions that need to be provided can be sourced from:

BS EN 12453:2001: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Safety in use of power operated doors - Requirements.

BS EN 12445:2001: Industrial commercial and garage doors and gates. Safety in use of power operated doors. Test methods.

BS EN 12635:2002: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Installation and use

BS EN 12604:2000: Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates - Mechanical Aspects. Requirements

Permission to reproduce extracts from British Standard BS EN 12453:2001 is granted by BSI. British Standards can be obtained in PDF or hard copy formats from the BSI online shop