Maintaining Industrial Doors: A Legal Requirement for Employers
Posted on 20/11/2015
In last week's blog we looked at the importance of maintaining your industrial doors this winter. However, this is far from a voluntary process and there are several pieces of legislation that require businesses to ensure that their doors are correctly maintained.
The legislation forces companies to check that their internal and external industrial doors are maintained to an acceptable standard. This ensures the continued health and safety of staff, customers and all visitors to your premises. All commercial and industrial businesses owners should therefore be aware of the following:
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
Regulation 5 of The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 covers all roller shutter doors, both manual and electric. It includes the following points:
- “The workplace and equipment, devices and systems to which this regulation applies shall be maintained (including cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repairâ€
- “Where appropriate, the equipment, devices and systems to which this regulation applies shall be subject to a suitable system of maintenance.â€
HSE Regulation 18
In addition to the legislation laid out in The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has created a code of practice which employers should follow. On the subject of doors it states:
- “Doors and gates which swing in both directions should have a transparent panel except if they are low enough to see over. Conventionally hinged doors on main traffic routes should also be fitted with such panels. Panels should be positioned so a person in a wheelchair can be seen from the other side.â€
- “Sliding doors should have a stop or other effective means to prevent the door coming off the track. They should also have a retaining rail to prevent the door falling should the suspension system fail or the rollers leave the trackâ€
- "Upward opening doors should be fitted with an effective device such as a counterbalance or ratchet mechanism to prevent them falling back in a manner likely to cause injury.â€
- “Power-operated doors and gates should have safety features to prevent people being injured as a result of being struck or trapped.â€
At Cooks Doors we offer an extensive repairs and maintenance service to ensure that your doors are correctly maintained. If you would like to put in place an ongoing maintenance strategy, do not hesitate to get in touch. Call us on 0800 0180304 and our dedicated team will be happy to advise on the most appropriate programme for your business.
