Industrial Safety Gates: OSHA Requirements and Installation
Is your workplace in need of self-closing safety gates? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Safety gates are great for busy construction and maintenance areas. They offer exceptional safety in dangerous areas such as rooftops, ladders, stairways, or in factories.
Gates that meet the OSHA self-closing gate requirements provide an extra level of trust. Your workplace will be safer after installing self-closing safety gates. Safety gates are easy to install and can assist in work traffic separation, keeping entrance zones safe, and guarding dangerous and heavy machinery.
Ladder safety gates are especially important. They allow the workers to climb ladders without having to worry about opening and closing gates behind them.
Employees will be able to work more efficiently in a safe environment. Ladder safety gates may help satisfy OSHA’s requirements for fall protection safety.
Have any questions about self-closing safety gates? Read on for answers:
What is OSHA?
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Labor.
Established in 1971, OSHA provides laws and standards for hazards and health in the workplace.
Are your safety gates OSHA certified?
Yes! Our gates are both OSHA and ANSI certified.
Being made of the highest quality materials, they meet the self-closing gate requirements set by these organizations. The safety gates are also compliant with most building codes.
The gates also comply with the Ontario Building Code, The National Building Code of Canada, and the British and European Standards.
Are the gates difficult to install?
Not at all! Our gates come fully assembled and only require simple hand tools to install.
They include securing hardware for standard installation on pipes. They are designed to be “retrofit” into existing infrastructure.
What tools are required to install?
In order to install our safety gates, you will need the following tools:
- Pen or Marker
- Tape Measure
- 1No 15/16” Ring Spanners
- 3/16” Allen Key
- 1No ½” socket
- No 11/16” mm socket
- 1No 15/16” mm socket
- Torque Wrench 10- 60 Nm approx
- Small Magnetic Spirit Level
For installation instructions, visit our product listing. The installation is performed in just a few simple steps. The gate is user adjustable to fit different needs.
Self Closing Gate Features
What materials are the gates made from?
Our self-closing safety gates are made from heavy-duty steel construction. The gate is spring-loaded to automatically close behind the user.
The high-performance hinge mechanism was designed for extended use.
Are your safety gates cycle tested?
Yes! Cycle testing is performed to evaluate the reliability and longevity of a product. Our self-closing gates exceeded 50,000 cycles.
This means they will be working for you for years to come! Tests include life cycle testing and salt spray testing. The gates are rated for indoor or outdoor use and will resist corrosion in either use.
What color are your gates?
Our self-closing gates come in a powder-coat yellow finish.
This matches most workplaces’ standard yellow guardrails that indicate a caution zone. Dangerous workplace areas should be signaled at the entrance. A self-closing gate performs this function while also allowing easy use. The gates are also offered in a galvanized steel finish.
Other Self Closing Gate Questions
How do I know which size to purchase?
The gates come in two models:
Model 1: SCGATE
The self-closing gates come in a wide variety of sizes from 18” to 48”. Measure the space you wish to fill and check our product page to find your exact size.
Once the gate has arrived, it is easy to adjust for a perfect fit on existing infrastructure. All of the gates are extendable over a 3.5-inch range. This model comes in a bright yellow powder coat or galvanized steel finish.
Model 2: SCGA02
This model is a universal self-closing safety gate. It alleviates the need to measure, as it fits all openings up to 44 inches.
It can be cut to size on site. This model also comes in a bright yellow powder coat or galvanized steel finish.
Why would I need to install safety gates?
A high-quality self-closing gate can help in many applications in the workplace. There are a few common situations where you may need safety gates:
Work Traffic Separation
One safety best-practice for any workplace is foot and vehicle traffic separation. Especially helpful in warehouses, a self-closing safety gate can allow foot and vehicle traffic to interact in a safe manner.
OSHA statistics indicate around 110,000 major forklift accidents occur every year. Many of these injuries could be avoided if the proper separation of vehicles and foot traffic were implemented. In just one day, your workplace can have an improved layout and safety practice by installing a self-closing gate.
Ingress Zone
An entrance to an active, dangerous area in a workplace should be marked properly. Our self-closing gates are painted a bright yellow powder-coat, signaling to workers and visitors that they are entering an active work zone.
Machine Guarding
Although machinery and heavy equipment are necessary for the workplace, it can also increase hazards in a facility. Our gates meet OSHA 1910.212(A)(1), which indicates that machine guarding be implemented to “…protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards…”.
The bright yellow color of our safety gates indicates to visitors and untrained personnel that they are entering a dangerous work zone.
This heightened awareness will help prevent workplace injuries involving machines.
Wrapping Up
Now you know why safety gates are a necessity for keeping your workplace free from accidents and how simple it can be to install your own.
Our safety gates would help with work traffic separation, establishing ingress zones, and guarding dangerous machinery.
We only use the highest quality materials for our self-closing gates! Using our OSHA certified safety gates means you don’t have to take any chances with your employees’ safety. Your workers will thank you for investing in their health and wellness!