Gate Help foe school/playground

[side-show-bob]

Hi all

I have been asked by the local school to quote to make 4 gates and a small infill section of railings.
I am trying to find out if there is a set gap that must be adhered to between the gate and the post. I now the gaps in the railings have to be sufficient so that a sphere of 100mm cannot be passed through it but i cannot find anything on gate to post gaps.

Also can anyone recommend a safety closer that stops the gate from slamming shut?

Cheers

Rob

 

[the snooper]

have a drive round and look at school railings, or telephone the local authority to find out if there is a standard measurement.
what you need to think about these days is, if a child get injured as a result of your design will you be liable ?

we live in a compensation society now, where there's blame there's a claim

 

[cumbriasteve]

Apart from the same 100mm maximum spacing I doubt you will find anything Rob.

In cases like this I always designed the hinge pins to ensure the swing of the gate did not allow the gates vertical hinged side to come into contact with the post or wall, hence making a 'finger trap' area, this can be done by putting a 'stop' on the hinge pin at the 90 degree point.

I used a self catching drop and lift retaining hook to keep the gates in the open position.

If it was a pair of gates I also ensured when they came together there was a 50mm spacing between the meeting uprights, again to avoid finger trap problems.

The silly thing is you will consider all this, even worry about it a bit and if you drive around the schools and nurserys you will see all sorts of rubbish erected, I have even seen a school wall fence finished with pointed finails and held in place with rawlplugs and screws