What Is UL325?
If you are considering automating your gates, and you live in North America, you’ve probably heard of UL325. Maybe a friend told you need it. Maybe you saw a UL325 compliant sticker on some of the equipment, or maybe your contractor talked about it.
If you’re still wondering what UL325 is, read on. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is UL325?
UL325 is a North American safety standard for sliding gates and other automated barriers. Officially, the name of this standard is ANSI/CAN/UL Standard for Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems. In the gate automation world, it primarily governs safety equipment that are designed to prevent entrapment and crushing injuries.
In other words, UL325 sets out specifications for gate motors and peripherals, as well as safety measures like infra-red eyes, gate edges and more.
If you want a copy of this standard, you can buy it directly from UL Standards here.
Is UL325 Law?
That depends where you are. In Canada, for instance, UL325 is not legally required. However, since you can certainly be sued or even charged if someone is injured or killed by your automated gate and it’s not compliant, it’s a very good idea to make sure every gate is UL325 compliant.
How Can I Be Sure My Gate Is UL325 Compliant?
The first thing you can do to make sure your gate is UL325 compliant is to choose the right gate automation contractor. Good contractors take pride in complying with all legal requirements and will deliver a safe and high quality gate and gate motor.
The next thing you need to do is make sure that the equipment you’re buying is UL325 compliant. Remember that UL325 is a North American gate safety standard, so it is not routinely applied to gate motors or gate operators in other parts of the world. This is one of the reasons why imported gate motors are not always the best idea.
Finally, make sure that your gate automation contractor has installed and connected all of the required safety devices for your gate, and test them regularly. Remember that automatic gate safety equipment only saves lives if it’s working correctly!
