Overhead Door Safety Tips for Industrial Facilities

November 8, 2023

Keep your factory safe, keep business moving

Industrial facilities rely heavily on overhead doors to facilitate the smooth flow of materials, equipment, and personnel. While these doors play a critical role in enhancing productivity, they also pose potential safety hazards. Implementing effective safety measures is essential to prevent accidents and injuries. In this article, we will discuss essential safety tips for industrial facilities with industrial doors.


Regular Maintenance and Inspection


Maintenance is the cornerstone of overhead door safety. Establish a routine maintenance schedule to ensure that all doors are inspected regularly. Look for signs of wear and tear, loose or damaged components, and proper lubrication. Address any issues promptly to prevent accidents caused by malfunctioning doors.


Employee Training


Properly trained employees are essential for safe door operation. Ensure that all personnel who operate or work near overhead doors receive comprehensive training on safety protocols. They should be familiar with the door's operation, emergency procedures, and potential hazards.


Clear Signage and Warning Systems


Clearly marked signage and warning systems are critical for safety. Install warning signs near overhead doors to alert employees and visitors to potential dangers. Consider additional visual and auditory warning systems, such as flashing lights and alarms, to indicate when the door is in operation.


Emergency Procedures


Establish clear and accessible emergency procedures for dealing with overhead door-related accidents or malfunctions. Employees should know how to respond to incidents like entrapment or door failure. Ensure that emergency contact numbers are readily available.


Safety Sensors and Controls


Modern overhead doors often come equipped with safety sensors and controls. These devices can detect obstructions in the door's path and automatically reverse its movement to prevent accidents. Regularly inspect and test these sensors to ensure they are functioning correctly.


Keep Clear Zones


Maintain clear zones around overhead doors, both inside and outside the facility. Ensure that no equipment, materials, or personnel obstruct the door's path. Keep the area well-lit and marked to enhance visibility and prevent collisions.


Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)


Require employees working near overhead doors to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, such as helmets and high-visibility vests. This can help reduce the severity of injuries in case of accidents.


Lockout/Tagout Procedures


Implement lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures for overhead doors during maintenance or repair work. LOTO procedures involve isolating energy sources and clearly marking them to prevent accidental activation of the door while maintenance is underway.


Regular Testing


Conduct routine testing of overhead doors to ensure their proper functioning. This includes testing the emergency stop button, safety sensors, and control systems. Make any necessary repairs or adjustments promptly.


Record-Keeping


Maintain thorough records of maintenance, inspections, and safety training. Documentation can be valuable in demonstrating compliance with safety regulations and ensuring accountability.


Safety is paramount in industrial facilities, and overhead doors are no exception. By implementing these overhead door safety tips, you can reduce the risk of accidents and create a safer working environment for your employees. Regular maintenance, employee training, and the use of safety features are all crucial elements in ensuring the safe operation of overhead doors in industrial settings. Prioritising safety not only protects your workforce but also contributes to increased efficiency and productivity in your facility.

The Benefits of High Speed Doors

By John Bubb • March 23, 2023
Tridoor has been producing high speed doors for industrial businesses for 20+ years. Our high speed doors provide both ease of access and high security.

Can roller shutters be repaired

January 4, 2023
In simple terms yes. Roller shutter doors are manufactured using individual components that make up the full door system. The main components of a roller shutter door is the barrel assembly and the door curtain, these too are made up of individual items and can be replaced but the extent of this damage or wear to these two vital parts can sometimes make replacement a more cost effective option. The roller shutter door barrel: The barrel assembly or axle is often a steel tube, the size and thickness is determined to prevent deflection of the tube under the weight of the door curtain (industry standard is 1:400). The barrel may contain shafts, bushes, springs, motor and brakes. Depending upon the age of the door, all the items are readily available and replaceable. The roller barrel assembly is a classed as a suspension element and carries the weight of the roller shutter curtain, It is recommended that any repairs to the barrel assembly is carried out by a specialist door contractor who has the expertise to identify the parts, faults and can carry out the repairs safely. Replacement of motors and safety brakes should only be carried out by a specialist door contractor 

How often should roller shutter doors be serviced

January 4, 2023
Roller shutter maintenance depends. Legal rights say industrial doors need maintenance every year but a domestic door can last longer due to lack of use.

Force Testing of Automatic Doors

November 28, 2022
In the design, manufacture and maintenance of industrial doors, demands of site, users and the environment are all taken into consideration. A suitable and sufficient risk assessment should be carried out for compliance and even where state-of-the-art requirements have been achieved, residual hazards are still present. Where recital 14 of the machinery directive is concerned, state-of-the-art is not cutting edge safety but the minimum level of safety required. Automatic doors can be opened by various means ranging from a simple push button, remote control, radar or induction floor loops, which activate the door and the door will raise to its upper most position. Once the door has reached its fully open position, for a fully automatic door, usually a timer is activated and the door will count down for a pre-determined time and the door will commence to close. An automatic door can also be where the door will remain at its fully open position indefinitely and requires a signal to close. Upon receipt of this signal, the door will begin to close automatically. For a door to work automatically in the closed position, safety features need to be present to prevent the door closing onto an obstruction or person. This can be in the form of a safety edge in conjunction with a low-level safety beam where either breaking the beam or contact of the safety edge will stop and return the door to the open position. Where a light barrier is installed, this is a full light curtain grid across the door opening and in the path of the closing door to a height of approximately 2500mm; crossing this beam at any point will stop and return the closing the door. As mentioned previously, recital 14 of the Machinery Directive relates to the minimum requirements for safety therefore residual hazards can still be present. When an automatic closing door is installed or maintained, the specialist door contractor should carry out a force test of the closing door. The force of the closing door should not exceed 400n, should reduce back to 150n in 0.75s to allow the door to stop and return so no overrun is present and should reduce further to 25n within 5s. The test is carried out at specific locations beneath the door and at heights where the door reaches full speed. A special force test meter is required to measure these forces on both doors and gates and should be calibrated on an annual basis. The test is recorded and a certificate is issued in order for the door to be compliant.
A large warehouse with a truck parked in the back

The Benefits of Industrial Doors

By Callum Dodsley • September 15, 2022
Industrial doors have lots of benefits to your business beyond keeping the breeze out! Installing a door properly and keeping it maintained can be a big boost for your company's image.

What different types of industrial doors are there?

By Callum Dodsley • September 15, 2022
Industrial doors come in all shapes & sizes and it can be hard to find the right fit for your company. Find out about roller shutters, high speed doors & more.

SHUTTER SAFETY BRAKES

November 8, 2019
Shutter Safety brakes, anti fall back devices for vertically acting door fall back protection STANDARDS: Construction Products Regulation (CPR) (EU) 305/2011 EN 13241: 2003+A2:2016, Industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates, Product Standard, Performance Characteristics. EN12604: Supporting structures, fixings, suspension elements and door leaves should be designed to withstand 2 x the total foreseeable load without permanent deformity. Supporting structures, fixings, suspension elements, fixings, door leaves and travel stops should be designed to withstand 3.5 x their total foreseeable load without ultimate structural failure Rolling shutter curtain attachments should be secured against normal loads, shock loads i.e. safety brake engagements. EN 12604 suggests at least 50% of barrel is covered at fully closed position. Vertically acting door static balance Vertically moving door leaves should achieve static balance such that: they remain static in the fully open and fully closed position Any slight out of balance movement when the door is stopped in any other position should not exert a static weight of more than 15kg Vertically acting door fall-back protection Vertically moving doors should be protected against failure of vulnerable balancing system components. Some structures within the suspension system can be considered to be resistant to failure provided they achieve the design strength of EN 12604 Other more vulnerable elements such as springs, cables, drive chains, gears, functional brakes (used to stop doors in normal use), should be provided with a back up system. The protection should be effective that in the event of failure of any one single vulnerable balancing component The door leaf must not exert a static weight of more than 20kg The door leaf must not travl more than 300mm within 2500mm of the ground or any other permanently available access level. Shutter Safety Brakes 

GIVE AND GAIN DAY 2019

November 8, 2019
Give and Gain Day 2019 saw Tridoor at Lixwm Primary School, Holywell. This years task was to help convert an un-loved out building into an outside classroom, decking and stage. We had the pleasure of installing a pair of patio doors, an electric awning and a decking stage area with handrails.

BARNSLEY SHOP FRONT IMPROVEMENT SCHEME

October 3, 2019
Barnsley Council has approved plans which will see £1 million spent on improving the look of district town centres. This follows discussions with local business leaders and community organisations around the regeneration of towns throughout the borough. Barnsley Shop front improvement is a shop front improvement scheme has been agreed which will overhaul the current appearance of high streets in Goldthorpe, Cudworth, Royston, Athersley, Darfield, Dodworth, Grimethorpe, Lundwood, Mapplewell, Stairfoot and Thurnscoe. Local businesses will also be contributing towards the scheme. The move comes as part of the innovative principal towns programme which will see the council invest £5 million in community-led projects within Barnsley’s Principal Towns and local centres. Barnsley Shop front improvement, the council is working with community organisations to shape and deliver projects focussed on developing a thriving high street and stimulating strong and resilient communities. It is hoped that, in addition to the council’s contribution, these exciting improvements will also encourage investment from the private sector and other funding streams to maximise income generation across the borough. Barnsley town centre is in the middle of a huge programme of transformation which has already seen a significant amount of investment. The Principal Towns funding is being used to kick-start wider investment across local high streets to make sure the benefits of economic regeneration are felt across the borough. Cllr Jenny Platts, Cabinet Spokesperson for Communities, said: “The shop fronts scheme is an exciting and imaginative approach which will help deliver the improvements that residents want to see. We’re committed to making sure the Principal Towns programme works directly with communities to deliver the best possible outcomes. The programme will encourage investment which will continue to reap the benefits for the people and businesses in district towns for years to come.” Residents are invited to provide feedback about the Principal Towns programme at the following dates and locations: Monday 5 February 10am to 12pm – Goldthorpe high street Tuesday 6 February 10am to 12pm – Wombwell Wilko Wednesday 7 February 10am to 12pm – Cudworth Co-op Wednesday 7 February 12.30pm to 2pm – Royston Co-op Wednesday 7 February 2.30pm to 4pm – Royston Asda Thursday 8 February 10am to 12pm – Penistone Market Tuesday 13 February 10am to 12pm – Hoyland Co-op Barnsley Shop front improvement, more information can be found here: www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/better-barnsley/improving-your-local-high-street/

LAMPROOM THEATRE BARNSLEY

October 3, 2019
Tridoor Industrial Door Services Ltd had the pleasure in being involved in a recent bar refurbishment at the lamproom theatre Barnsley . This is a tube and link bar shutter in anodised gold and really compliments the luxury decorLooking good. #lamproomtheatre #tubeandlink #barnsleyisbrill
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