SUMMARY OF UL325 STANDARDS

The UL325 Standard for Safety for Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems, Fifth Edition Dated June 7, 2002: The standard was developed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. in an open non-exclusionary process for manufacturers to use in designing products. This standard provides minimum requirements for the manufacture and installation of gate operators. Products are tested by nationally recognized testing laboratories to ensure compliance to the standard. The gate operator is only one component of a UL325 compliant installation. The standard requires specific installer responsibilities:

Install the gate operator only when:

• The operator is appropriate for the construction of the gate and the usage Class of the gate.
• All openings of a horizontal slide gate are guarded or screened from the bottom of the gate to a minimum of 4 feet (1.2m) above the ground to prevent a 2 ¼ inch (57.15mm) diameter sphere from passing through the openings anywhere in the gate, and in that portion of the adjacent fence that the gate covers in the open position.
• All exposed pinch points are eliminated or guarded and,
• Guarding is supplied for exposed rollers.

The operator is intended for installation only on gates used for vehicles. Pedestrians must be supplied with a separate access opening.

The gate must be installed in a location so that enough clearance is supplied between the gate and adjacent structures when opening and closing to reduce the risk of entrapment.

Swing gates shall not open into public access areas.

The gate must be properly installed and work freely in both directions prior to the installation of the gate operator. Do not over tighten the operator clutch or pressure relief valve to compensate for a damaged gate.

Controls must be at least 7 feet from the gate so that the user is prevented from coming in contact with the gate while operating the controls. Controls intended to be used to reset an operator after 2 sequential activations of the entrapment protection device or devices must be located in the line-of-sight of the gate. Outdoor or easily-accessible controls shall have a security feature to prevent unauthorized use.

All warning signs must be installed where visible in the area of the gate.

Warning signs must be on both sides of the gate.

ASTM-F2200 is the Standard Specification for Automated Vehicular Gate Construction. It was developed for ASTM jointly by the American Fence Association (AFA), Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) and National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMA). It is the standard by which vehicular gates intended to be automated are fabricated and installed. It includes design and construction standards that fence fabricators and installers can refer to in designing gates and gate systems that are intended to be automated by a gate operator.

For a printable copy of this summary, please click HERE
Link to UL325 article by the American Fence Association
Link to DASMA Standards