When you think about electric gates or barriers, the first things that come to mind are usually security and convenience. But there’s another side that doesn’t get talked about enough: Health & Safety (H&S) compliance.
It’s not just a box-ticking exercise. Compliance is what keeps your insurance valid, your liability low, and your business protected if something ever goes wrong.
Why it’s dangerous: Without sensors or force limitation, the gate can slam with excessive force, leading to crush injuries or fatalities.
Child fatalities: In Manchester, a six-year-old girl named Semelia Campbell was tragically killed when an electric gate closed on her; the safety systems like force limitation and obstacle detection were not functional. The installing company, Cheshire Gates and Automation Ltd, was later heavily fined under corporate manslaughter laws.
Impact injuries: Delivery drivers and contractors have suffered broken bones after being knocked down by swing gates that lacked safety sensors.
Consequence: Serious injuries, fatalities, and corporate liability.
Why it’s dangerous: A gate installed without considering trapping points, or with structural flaws, can leave people — especially children — vulnerable.
Child fatalities: In Bridgend, five-year-old Karolina Golabek was crushed by a sliding gate lacking proper safety mechanisms and force control. Courts found both the installation and maintenance teams negligent, issuing substantial fines—£60,000 to the installer and £50,000 to the maintenance firm.
Vehicle damage: Barrier arms that fail to detect vehicles have smashed onto company cars, forklifts, and even delivery vans. In many cases, insurance claims were rejected because the systems were found non-compliant.
Consequence: Liability often falls directly on the property manager or operator, not just the installer.
Why it’s dangerous: Even a compliant gate deteriorates over time. Sensors misalign, safety edges wear out, and controls fail—turning a safe gate into a dangerous one.
Fatal case: In Poole, Dorset, a boy’s head was fatally crushed when gates were found to be missing basic safeguards. The construction firm was fined £80,000 for failing to address avoidable risks.
Maintenance neglect: Several court cases have shown companies held liable years later because they failed to keep up with inspections and servicing.
The pattern is clear: non-compliance = liability on the owner/operator, not the installer who left years ago.
Insurance companies will always ask: “Was this system compliant with industry standards?” If the answer is no—say the gate didn’t have the right safety edges or photocells—you risk:
In short: compliance is your paper trail of protection.
| Failure Type | Practical Consequence |
| No safety features | Leads to serious injury or death conditions with no legal or insurance shield. |
| Poor design/install | Liability shifts squarely onto the owner/operator; insurance may deny claims. |
| No ongoing maintenance | Systems degrade—unnoticed risks become real threats over time. |
All three failures weaken your insurance defence and expose your business/property to legal action, financial loss, and reputational damage.
At CM Gates & Barriers, our H&S approach runs through the entire project lifecycle:
Think of H&S compliance not as a regulatory burden, but as an investment in your business:
Book a free consultation with CM Gates & Barriers to ensure your electric gate installation is planned, installed and maintained in accordance with health and safety regulations.
CM GATES & BARRIERS LTD is registered as a limited company in Scotland under company number SC591844
Registered Address: 4 Polbeth Industrial Estate, Polbeth, West Calder, Scotland, EH55 8TJ
We have many happy customers across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston, Dunfermline, Hamilton, Cumbernauld, Kirkcaldy, Inverness, Perth, Kilmarnock, Ayr, Coatbridge, Greenock, Glenrothes, Stirling, Airdrie, Falkirk, Irvine, Dumfries, Motherwell, Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Wishaw, Bearsden, Newton Mearns, Clydebank, Elgin, Renfrew, Bishopbriggs, Bathgate, Arbroath, Kirkintilloch, Musselburgh, Dumbarton, Bellshill, Peterhead, St Andrews, Bonnyrigg, Barrhead, Blantyre, Penicuik, Grangemouth, Kilwinning, Broxburn, Johnstone, Larkhall or Erskine. Call us today for a free quote.
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