Gate Safe is a UK registered charity set up in 2010 to prevent deaths and injuries caused by unsafe automated gates and barriers. It runs installer training, keeps a register of trained installers, and offers safety surveys. Its accreditation is one of the clearest signals that a gate installer has been trained specifically in gate safety rather than just in fitting hardware.
Why it exists
Gate Safe was founded following the deaths of two children in separate automated gate accidents in 2010. Both were crushed by powered gates on residential sites. The charity was established by Richard Jackson OBE, who stepped down from running a fencing manufacturer to set it up, with the stated aim of putting a stop to any further accidents or fatalities caused by an unsafe electric gate or barrier installation.
It is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1149261, and works alongside the Health and Safety Executive, the Door and Hardware Federation and RoSPA.
The reason it was needed is uncomfortable but simple: a powered gate is a piece of machinery capable of killing someone, and for years it was routinely installed by people who had been trained to wire a motor rather than to assess a hazard.
What Gate Safe Aware training covers
The core training is the Gate Safe Aware course. In outline:
- Format: around four to four and a half hours including a break, delivered as interactive online sessions, or face to face on request.
- Content: the relevant UK legislation, risk assessment, safety focused design, selecting appropriate safety devices, maintenance protocols and the legal implications of getting it wrong.
- Entry: no prior industry experience is required.
- Renewal: refresher training every two years is required to maintain membership.
On passing, delegates receive a certificate, a training manual, a member ID card, access to a members’ area and a technical helpline.
The register of approved installers was established in 2012 alongside the training, so a client can check whether the person quoting has actually done it.
What else the charity does
Beyond training, Gate Safe runs a gate safety survey scheme, publishes free guidance and operates a helpline. For a site owner who has inherited a gate with no paperwork, an independent survey is often the quickest way to establish whether there is a problem.
How it fits with the legal picture
Gate Safe accreditation is not a legal requirement, and holding it does not by itself discharge anyone’s duties. The legal framework sits in the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and the technical requirements sit in BS EN 12453.
What the accreditation does is give a client evidence of competence. If you are a duty holder and something goes wrong, being able to show you appointed a demonstrably trained contractor is a considerably better position than not being able to. We have set out what duty holders are responsible for in a separate article for landlords and managing agents.
What to ask an installer
Whether or not a contractor holds Gate Safe specifically, these questions separate a competent installer from a risky one:
- What safety training have your engineers completed, and when was it last refreshed?
- Will you carry out and document a risk assessment for this gate in this location?
- Will you measure and record the closing forces, and give me the results?
- What will I receive at handover: manual, declaration, maintenance schedule?
- Are you a member of a recognised trade body?
An installer who is uncomfortable with any of those is telling you something useful.
MG Group is a member of the Door and Hardware Federation and we design, install and maintain automatic gates and barriers across London and Hertfordshire.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gate Safe a legal requirement?
No. It is a voluntary accreditation from a charity. The legal duties come from the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
How do I check whether an installer is Gate Safe accredited?
Gate Safe maintains a register of trained installers, and accredited engineers carry a member ID card. Ask to see it, and check the date, since refresher training is required every two years.
Does accreditation mean my gate is safe?
It means the person working on it has been trained in gate safety. Whether your specific gate is safe depends on its design, its safety devices, its force settings and its maintenance, which is what a risk assessment and force test establish.
Written by Daryl Griffiths, Managing Director, MG Group. Sources: Gate Safe published information on the charity and its training, HSE guidance on powered gates. Checked August 2026. Course details and fees change, so confirm current arrangements with Gate Safe directly.
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