SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
At D.A.D.S., Inc., we take safety seriously. Due to new stringent voluntary regulations from the industry concerning automatic/electric gate openers and the liability issues they create, we must advise our customers of the following:
RE: Timers that can activate electric gate operators during certain periods of time.
An example might be to open a cemetery gate at 8 AM and release it to close at 8 PM. Another example might be to open and hold open the gate of a business during normal hours. While the use of timers for these functions is doable, it is must be done properly due to the safety issues it presents. Picture a child around the gate when it suddenly and without warning begins to move. Unfortunately, in the litigious society we live in, you could end up as part of the food chain for a law firm. A simple bruise can turn into a permanent disability with a good lawyer and a willing jury. You may think spilling hot coffee in your lap and getting millions is outrageous, BUT, a jury let it happen. Do you think your luck might be better with the lawyer you could afford to hire? Wouldn’t you rather leave your life’s fortune to your children instead of a stranger? The hazard this presents is serious unless you go about it properly.
It is for this reason that the timer described above must only be used to activate ancillary devices and not the gate itself. For example, it could activate an entry or exit loop, wand, beam or push button. In other words, the timer should be used to activate a device that requires a person to be present and a deliberate action be made. This insures that the activation is expected and deliberate. Remember that the timer relay releases as well as engages meaning that if you use it to open the gate, the gate will also close at a time you preset. In addition, beams or edges must be used to prevent entrapment, injury or death. See the operator’s installation manual for Safety Requirements for gate operators. |
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