Protect children and pedestrians from electric gates urge HSE

The recent deaths of two children who were killed by electric gates has caused the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to urge manufacturers to pay heed to new safety advice.

In June this year, six-year-old Semelia Campbell was crushed to death by electric gates in Manchester.

Only days later, five-year-old Karaolina Golabek from Bridgend, South Wales suffered a similar fate.

Now the HSE are urging installers, designers and maintenance firms to take action to prevent further deaths.

As well as limiting the closing forces, installers must now fit additional safeguards to gates in public areas.

HSE’s Director of Field Operations, David Ashton, said: “Electric or automatic gates are designed to stop if someone gets in the way, and installers and those maintaining these gates have a real duty to ensure this happens.

“They must take their responsibilities seriously to make sure that anti-crushing, shearing and trapping safety protection devices are correctly set and maintained.”