What Is UL-325 For A Gate
Additionally, March 1, 2000 is the operative date for compliance with revised instructions governing installation. It is important to remember that continual compliance is a requirement of maintaining a listing and labeling program.
Overview of UL 325 and Gates
Highlights of UL 325 include the following:
· A glossary which defines each type of operator
· Different “classes” of gate operators
· Entrapment* protection criteria for each “class” of operator
· Entrapment* alarm criteria
· Requirements for gate construction and installation
· Instructional requirements placing increased responsibility on installers
*In the document, “entrapment” is defined as “the condition when an object is caught or held in a position that increases the risk of injury.”
A key part of the UL 325 standard is a table that summarizes the entrapment device options for different classes of operators of the various types of gates included in the standard. The table, labeled “Table 30A.1,” is reproduced here from the 4th edition of the Standard for Safety for Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators
and Systems, UL 325. It is reprinted with the permission of Underwriters
Laboratories, Inc. Refer to the table as you read about the provisions that are described in the following sections.
Gate Definition and Types
UL 325 defines a gate as “a moving barrier such as a swinging, sliding, raising, lowering, rolling, or the like, barrier that is a stand-alone passage barrier or is that portion of a wall or fence system that controls entrance and/or egress by persons or vehicles and completes the perimeter of a defined area.” The main types of gate operators/systems addressed in UL 325 are barrier, vertical pivot gate, horizontal slide gate, swing gate and vertical slide gate. It is important to note that all gates included in UL 325 are defined as vehicular gates and NOT PEDESTRIAN GATES. Property owners are expected to provide a separate entrance for pedestrian access.
Gate Operator Classifications
Distinct types of classifications have been established:
Class I: Residential usage, covering one to four single family dwellings.
Class II: Commercial usage where general public access is expected; a common application would be a public parking lot entrance or gated community.
Class III: Industrial usage where limited access is expected; one example is a warehouse property entrance not intended to serve the general public.
Class IV: Restricted access; this includes a prison entrance that is monitored either in person or via closed circuitry.
The classes are defined by the entrapment protection requirements included in UL 325. These requirements are that: 1) each class must have primary and secondary entrapment provisions; 2) each class must have different types of protection for the different classes of operators as well as for the different categories of operators; and 3) the same type of device cannot be used for both primary and secondary protection.
An exception to compliance with the provisions of Table 30A.1 has also been noted in the standard. An operator considered exempt would require all of the following: 1) operates a vehicular barrier (arm) that is not intended to move toward a rigid object closer than 2 feet; 2) does not have a pinch point between moving parts by virtue of the operator’s design or complying installation; and 3) is not required to be provided with means to protect against entrapment.