Updates to the industry standards for automatic doors will mean all suppliers and fitters must familiarise themselves with new legislation. In addition, they will also have to advise customers who have older installations of the changes, if applicable, following the announcement by the Automatic Door Suppliers’ Association.
Industry governing body ADSA is the primary contributor in assisting with the development of British and European automatic door standards. Working with a number of countries and organisations to achieve this, ADSA was founded in 1985 to establish quality and safety standards for the powered pedestrian door industry.
Here at Automatic Access, we pride ourselves on many things, including being an ADSA member. We stay up to date with the latest regulations to supply and fit automatic doors.
Why is ADSA important?
ADSA created the first code of practice for the “safety of doors for pedestrian use”. Known as BS 7036: 1988, this became the benchmark for the provision of automatic doors. This has since evolved, but the older standard is still applicable for automatic doors installed between 1988 and 2013. Automatic door technicians must be accredited to the current regulations before they can install and service automatic doors. Our technician training is completed and certified with ADSA, making the organisation very important to our company and industry. The standard is so important, we go the extra mile, ensuring our other employees, including the sales team and project manager, are accredited too.
Current regulations
The current regulation governing automatic door safety standards, BS EN 16005, will soon be updated. Automatic door companies will have to apply the latest standards to all new installations. We will also advise customers with older installations of the possible risks identified. We’ve already been busy getting up to speed with what will change and applying this to our current customers, so there will be no nasty bills or surprises with the update. This means updates in the following areas:
Risk Assessments
It’s paramount that a risk assessment to BS 7036-0 is completed to ensure optimum safety procedures are observed. This will consider the building’s usage and users. It will also take into account safety devices; the approach; risks of using the automatic door; entrapment; minimising drawing in hazards and recognising any other potential hazards.
This high level of risk assessment is completed as standard when you choose an Automatic Access installation. It may even be why you see an extra part included in our installations when compared with our competitors.
