Garage doors seldom capture much attention, but as an object that can reach weighs of 350 kilos, falling from a great height, it's worth looking at ways to avoid potential dangers associated with doors. The European Door and Shutter Federation (EDSF), formed in 1985, takes the lead in Europe for developing harmonised standards which are designed to ensure that garage doors are produced and installed with safety as the paramount factor. The EN regulations and testing requirements are very detailed given the potentially lethal consequences posed by doors that don't meet basic requirements. Their importance is underlined by the requirement for independent testing of the key safety provisions of the regulations. These requirements are surprisingly simple, yet door producers across the country ignore these legal requirements with surprising regularity despite being introduced in May 2005.

Handy Tips regarding Garage Door Safety:

• 1. Only buy doors that are CE marked and from a supplier that is happy to share their testing documentation.
• 2. Also, ask for proof that installers are fully insured for public liability.

Below is a summary of the main requirements that you should demand of your supplier when buying new doors and this can serve as a checklist for existing doors on your property... are they up to basic safety standards?

This requirement states that doors must be designed so that a failure in the suspension system (typically springs) will not result in the door dropping uncontrollably. Properly designed doors achieve this by employing an anti-drop device or multiple springs so that the failure of one does not result in door falling with a guillotine effect.

Tip: Ask potential suppliers for documentation showing that their doors have passed this crucial safety test. Testing must be carried out by an independent "notified body" such as BRE (British Research Establishment) in Watford or SP in Sweden.

Doors must be rated according to their capacity to resist wind as doors damaged in this way pose an immediate danger. This is especially important for doors with a large surface area. The EN norms dictate that doors must carry a rating from I to IV, with IV being the highest rating possible.

Tip: Ask door suppliers for their wind load data, if they can't produce independent testing, contact someone who can.

The door should have a brake or balance system that automatically engages when the door movement is stopped in any position. The closing edge of the door should never exert force of more than 150 Newtons (15KG), even after a motor or spring failure.

Tip: Check your doors. A properly balanced door will stay in the same position at any point along its travel, not just the open or closed position. Ask potential suppliers if they can assure that this regulation will be met to prevent uncontrolled movement that can cause damage.

Mechanical features of the door must be designed to prevent the risk of cutting, crushing or shearing during the operation of the door, up to a height of 2.5m. Gaps should be designed out of the door or guarded with suitable warnings if this has not been achieved. For example, holes for locking devices should be guarded so that the door itself does not become a heavy shear.

Tip: Ask your potential supplier if their doors are CE compliant with design features to prevent dangerous gaps, particularly areas where fingers could become entrapped. Look at doors on your property for potential problems.

When a door is automated, it is classed as a machine under the machinery directive. To safely control such a large, heavy object, door openers must be equipped with features which will stop the door before any damage can occur. This is generally achieved via sensitive reversing systems or non-contact photo-eyes which stop the door before a person or obstruction is touched.

Tip: Ask your supplier to see the "Declaration of Conformity" for the door opener and insist that the equipment is CE marked.

CE compliant doors, installed by factory trained specialists are good value. Well designed doors will give you fifteen years or more of reliable service and cost little or nothing over doors that may put users at risk and affect your insurance coverage.

In Ireland and the UK, The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) is the trade association for the garage door industry. The DHF is a member of the European Door and Shutter Federation, the body responsible for developing the door safety standards across Europe. Manufacturers who carry the DHF logo on their brochures have signed up to their Code of Practice which includes certification that all of their door and opener products are CE compliant. To legally carry the CE mark, all products must be tested by independent "notified bodies" such as BRE in Britain and SP in Sweden. The DHF logo is your assurance of safety, compliance and quality.

Top Tip: Purchase doors and openers from manufacturers who are DHF members.
For more information please visit:

• www.edsf.com
• www.dhfonline.org.uk