Frequently Asked Questions
Barrier Gate Arm Safety
Source: Parking Today, Volume 16, Number 10, October 2011, "Gate-Arm Safety Tips", p 41
According to the International Parking Institute, gate arm accidents are responsible for 5% of all personal injury claims occurring in parking garages and result in an average claim of $2,800 per incident.
In one reported incident in which a barrier gate arm struck a pedestrian's head, the resulting liability claim was for $6 million. The investigation of this claim revealed that "employees had manually adjusted the weight and strength of the arm, which activated and descended on the person's head as he walked under it."
Investigators discovered multiple factors that contributed to the unfortunate incident:
- Untrained employees had made adjustments to the barrier gate arm.
- The injured person ignored warning signs and was walking in an area not designated for pedestrian use.
- The gate arm was not padded and did not have adequate safety features.
Today's barrier gates are designed with special features to limit the potential of injury to people and/or damage to vehicles. By law, barrier gates must have auto-reversing mechanisms that immediately raise the arm when it makes contact with an object. Combined with padding on the arm, injuries and damage can be significantly minimized by these features.
Another safety device that can be added is a "non-contact" reversing device. These devices include photo-beams and other detection devices that "sense" a potential obstruction and reverses the arm prior to actually hitting the obstruction (the "Smart Gate" system that we have installed in several locations is another example of this type of system).
Finally, preventing pedestrian traffic under and around the barrier gates must be considered. Posting signage that verbally and pictorially warn of the danger and prohibit pedestrian traffic in the area is a critical first step. Additional signage directing pedestrians to the appropriate walkway should also be posted.
No matter what type of barrier gate and safety devices are installed, proper maintenance and adjustments play the crucial role in reducing injury and damage. These adjustments and repairs should be made by fully trained technicians that understand the gates operation and follow the manufacturer's guidelines for service and repair.
Should the gate malfunction, the owner should lock the gate in the "up" position and request repair from a trained technician. Under no circumstances should the safety systems be bypassed or extra counterweight be added to the gate arm.
The technicians at Sunbelt Gated Access Systems are all trained and experienced in barrier gate maintenance and repair for a number of different manufacturers. While we cannot guarantee that accidents will not occur, we can make certain to minimize the likelihood of an accident and the severity of the resulting injury or damage. Call us today for an inspection and adjustment of your barrier gates if you are concerned about gate arm safety at your property.
Read the complete article at www.parkingtoday.com