Parents urged to seek reassurance on the safety of school gates

September signals the return to (or start of) school for children across the country, but as parents drop their precious loved ones at the gate, are they aware of the potential danger that lurks in the school grounds? Electric or automated gates have become a regular feature within educational settings, but parents should be aware that the devices designed to improve security and therefore the safety of pupils, staff and visitors CAN cause serious injury or worse IF they have not been installed or maintained correctly with a recent survey indicating that there could be as many as 21,296 unsafe automated gates in schools. This compares with the 232 schools affected by RAAC in England …. And it’s not just automated gates that can represent a hazard, manual gates can also cause harm if not installed or maintained in line with best practice.

The snapshot survey of school gates undertaken by the charity Gate Safe (established in 2010 following the death of two young children in separate automated gate accidents) found that 87% of the gates audited were unsafe and failed to meet Gate Safe guidance supported by the relevant British Standard. These unsafe gates were found to be at risk of falling due to the lack of the required third hinge which is now a legal requirement. The simple action to fix a fall arrest tether to a gate to address this issue, if a third hinge can’t be retrofitted was only seen on 9% of the gates. Other safety issues found during the survey were a failure to provide the required level of non-contact safety which will stop a gate touching a person / object, failure to fit the required contact-safety which ensures the gate reverses away from the person / object in the event of contact and lack of hinge protection which exposes gate users to the risk of entrapment.

Schools should represent a safe space for pupils and head teachers / the senior management team have a clear responsibility to ensure any automated gate – legally classed as a machine – has been installed in accordance with the latest guidance and is fitted with the relevant safety features to mitigate any risks which include impact ie crushing (either if the gate falls onto the victim or closes onto the victim), entrapment, shearing, dragging / drawing in, cutting or hooking.

Gate Safe is urging parents to ask school leaders to verify the safety of all gates (including manual) on the school premises and in the case of automated gates, to request confirmation that they feature:

- At least two different types of safety devices– contact and non-contact such as photocells (or light curtains / laser scanners) and safety edges

- A UKCA or CE mark

And seek

- Reassurance that the gate undergoes required regular maintenance every six months as a minimum, undertaken by a suitably trained and competent professional

- Reassurance that a member of staff has been tasked with undertaking basic checks on the gate outside of the formal maintenance service arrangement

Jim Oram, Policy Officer at RoSPA – the safety charity that has been a long-term official supporter of Gate Safe – says “Automated gates are powerful machines, not just school access and egress points. Head teachers and school staff responsible for choosing or maintaining them must ensure they are properly installed, inspected, and regularly serviced, so pupils, staff, visitors, and other vulnerable users are protected throughout the gate’s working life.”

Richard Jackson OBE, Chairman and Founder of Gate Safe says, “While gate related accidents are not in their hundreds year on year, staff should be focused on the severity of the potential injuries that can be sustained, rather than the frequency of such incidents. Gate Safe would like to see an improvement in the education of headteachers and members of the senior leadership team, who are charged with compliance and governance within the school setting. They have a duty to safeguard children in their care and this should extend to the physical site security and regular risk assessments. The Headteacher must fully appreciate their responsibility for the ongoing safety of any automated (and manual) gate on the school premises and the need to seek out specialist, suitably trained professionals to install and maintain the gates. We also encourage parents to ask the relevant questions regarding any school gates – automated and manual – at the school and to seek reassurance that the relevant steps have been taken to ensure that they are both safe and legally compliant”.

Details of Gate Safe’s Safe School Gates campaign can be found on the website https://www.gate-safe.org/help-advice/gate-safety-for-schools including a basic checklist for schools.

- Ends –

Note to editors:

There are 24,479 schools in England (source Statista, December 2025), 87% of 24,479 = 21,296

Gate Safe (www.gate-safe.org) is a registered charity committed to improving the safety of automated (and manual) gates.

For further information please contact:

Carla Wessel

Gate Safe

carla@gate-safe.org

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