Force Testing Electric Gates

Force testing is the single most important safety check on an electric gate, and the one most often skipped. If you only read one page about gate safety, make it this one.

What is force testing?

When a closing gate meets something – a car, a bike, a person – it pushes against it until the safety system makes it stop and reverse. Force testing measures how hard the gate pushes, and for how long, at the places where someone could get trapped or crushed.

BS EN 12453 sets the maximum forces allowed and how quickly they must drop. If the gate pushes harder or longer than the limits, it isn't safe and needs adjusting or extra safety devices.

Electric Gate Force Testing in Carlisle

Force testing measures how hard a moving gate pushes when it meets an obstruction. Using a calibrated force tester placed at the danger points, we check that the gate stops and reverses within the limits set out in BS EN 12453. It's the only way to know for certain that a gate won't crush someone.

We force test every automatic gate we install around Carlisle and Cumbria, and we repeat the test as part of a full service. The results are recorded, so you have proof the gate was safe when it was checked.

Why Regular Force Testing Matters

Gate settings drift over time. Hinges wear, motors age, and a gate that passed when it was new can start pushing harder a few years later, especially after a repair or a change to the control board.

That's why force testing belongs in every service, not just on installation day. For gates at workplaces and shared sites, written test records are a practical way to show the gate is being kept safe. If you're not sure when your gate was last tested, we can check it for you.

How it's done

1. The gate's hazard points are identified – the closing edge, the hinge side, where it passes walls or posts.
2. A calibrated force tester – a specialist instrument that records force over time – is placed at each test point.
3. The gate is closed onto the tester, and the force is recorded.
4. Results are compared with the BS EN 12453 limits.
5. If needed, settings are adjusted or safety devices added, and the gate is tested again.
6. The results are written down and given to the owner.

You can't do this by feel, or with a hand. It needs the proper equipment, and the equipment needs regular calibration.

When should a gate be force tested?

• When it's installed or a manual gate is converted
• After changes – a new motor, control board, safety device or setting
• At regular services – forces change as motors, hinges and gates wear

Why it matters

A gate that was safe when fitted won't necessarily stay safe. Hinges wear, gates drop, settings get changed, and safety edges perish. Regular force testing catches that before someone gets hurt.

What I do

Every gate I install or convert is force tested with calibrated equipment, and I re-test at services. You get a record of the results with your paperwork.

If your gate has never been force tested – or you don't know – call or WhatsApp Adrian on 07854 037752.

Questions people ask me