Article · 2026-10-09
Is your electric gate legal? The safety check most owners skip
An automated gate is legally a machine, and most in use were never force-tested. Here's what the law actually requires, how to tell if your gate is compliant, and why it matters more than owners think.
Your gate is legally a machine
Most people think of an electric gate as a convenience. The law thinks of it as a machine that moves a quarter-tonne of metal past people and cars — and it regulates it accordingly. Under the Machinery Directive and the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations, a powered gate must be risk-assessed, fitted with the right safety devices, force-tested to BS EN 12453, and handed over with a Declaration of Conformity. That is the legal baseline, not a premium specification.
The uncomfortable truth is that a large share of the automated gates in use across Surrey were never force-tested, and many have no Declaration at all. If yours was fitted quickly and cheaply, it is worth knowing where you stand.
How to tell if your gate is compliant
You do not need to be an engineer to spot the gaps:
- Do you have a Declaration of Conformity? It should have been handed over at installation. No paperwork is the first red flag.
- Are there safety devices? Look for photocells across the opening and, where the gate can trap or crush, a pressure-sensitive safety edge. A gate relying on the motor stopping alone is not enough.
- Was it ever force-tested? A compliant installer measures the gate's impact force with a calibrated meter at defined points and records a pass. If no one ever came with a meter, it was not tested.
- Are the gaps safe? Hinge points and the gap between a sliding gate and its posts are classic entrapment points that the risk assessment should have addressed.
The plain-English version of the standard is on our gate safety standards page.
Why it matters more than owners think
Beyond the law, this is about liability. If an automated gate injures someone — a child, a delivery driver, a visitor — and it was never compliant, the owner is exposed. Insurers increasingly ask. And compliance is not expensive to put right: a force test and the right safety devices on an existing gate cost a fraction of the gate itself. We force-test every gate we touch, including repairs and services on gates we did not install, and issue the paperwork. If you are not sure where your gate stands, a service is the simplest way to find out and fix it in one visit.
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Tell us the opening width, whether power is nearby and the style you have in mind. We measure on site, confirm a fixed price in writing, and never sell door-to-door.
Prefer to talk? Call 01483 000 000.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electric gate legally required to be force-tested?
Yes. A powered gate is classed as machinery, and compliance requires a risk assessment, appropriate safety devices, force testing to BS EN 12453 with a calibrated meter, and a Declaration of Conformity. Many gates in use were never tested — it is the industry's legal baseline, often quietly skipped.
How do I know if my electric gate is safe and legal?
Check for a Declaration of Conformity from installation, look for photocells and a safety edge where the gate could trap or crush, and ask whether it was ever force-tested with a meter. Missing paperwork or missing safety devices means it should be assessed.
Can you make my existing gate compliant?
Yes. We force-test and, where needed, add the right safety devices to existing gates — including gates we did not install — and issue the Declaration. It costs a fraction of the gate and removes a real liability.
Continue researching
Read what the law actually requires, understand force testing explained, or book a safety check and service.