For a safety gate to be effective, it needs to prevent an accident. In most cases, that means the gate must be closed when not in use, serving as a barrier against whatever risks are on the other side of it. One of the primary features that sets a safety gate apart from a regular gate in this regard is that a safety gate closes on its own after someone goes through it. This self-closing action happens thanks to heavy-duty springs, and if those springs aren’t doing their jobs properly, the safety gate’s protection is compromised and its lifespan is diminished.
The Facts:
Springs have been around for a very long time. A non-coiled spring was found in a bow and arrow from 64,000 years ago, while the first coiled spring was introduced back in 1763 (with the first steel coiled spring created in 1857).
Since then, industry and commerce have relied on springs to do increasingly important jobs in modern industry, but in becoming ubiquitous, these important tools also became something of a commodity. As a result, quality began to vary widely, and finding the best springs for a project became a critical part of engineering and creating products, and the manufacture of self-closing safety gates.
The Challenge:
Safety gates open and close – a lot. Since their primary purpose is to be shut when not in use, this makes the springs that close them one of the most important components in their construction. If inferior springs are used, a safety gate might not close reliably, putting workers at risk. It might also close with a violent action, operate noisily or wear out quickly due to high usage. Any of those circumstances can result in the need to replace the gate prematurely, and that isn’t a efficient use of resources.
The Solution:
When a safety gate employs the perfect spring for its operation – a spring engineered to work reliably in adverse industrial conditions for many years – worker protection and business productivity both benefit.
PS Safety Access™ guarantees the springs in EdgeHalt® Ladder Safety Gates for the life of the gates. How can we be so confident that these springs can hold up to the constant punishment of an industrial work environment? We’ve spent countless hours testing the springs to well over 1.5 million cycles without breakage!
These incredibly durable springs form the foundation upon which all EdgeHalt Ladder Safety Gates are built. Depending on the model, these gates also include important features like Slam-Proof™ technology for controlled, quiet operation, adjustable closing speed and a wide range of sizes and finishes. EdgeHalt Ladder Safety Gates are also ANSI and OSHA compliant, with some models also meeting Canadian COHS and CE Marked standards.
You can learn more about EdgeHalt Ladder Safety Gates here.
Quality is in the details, and the importance of quality springs is anything but small. If the springs on your safety gates haven’t been tested adequately, can you be certain that they will provide adequate protection for your team? If you’re interested in learning more about the springs we use in our products, or more about how PS Safety Access products can keep workers safe and operations productive, contact us today. Our staff is experienced and friendly, and they’re ready to help you and your business succeed. Contact us at 877-446-1519.
Sources:
All About Springs: Comprehensive Guide to the History, Use and Manufacture of Coiled Springs, Automated Industrial Motion, www.aimcoil.com
www.smalley.com/blog/invention-history-and-timeline-wave-spring
www.simplysprings.co.nz/blog/post/31393/A-History-of-Springs/
www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/work-and-energy/hookes-law/a/what-is-hookes-law
kids.kiddle.co/Hooke%27s_law