Media information

May 28, 2015

Garage door safety concerns come under BBC TV spotlight

As many as a third of all powered roller shutter garage doors in the UK are unsafe and not fit for purpose, it was revealed in the BBC TV consumer programmeDon't Get Done, Get Dom.

In the May 27 programme, Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) technical specialist Nick Perkins told consumer champion Dom Littlewood that the DHF is working closely with Trading Standards to tackle the problem.

Nick Perkins was invited onto the programme to give expert advice on a householder's automatic garage door that was not fit for purpose. The garage door had failed to stop descending when it encountered an obstruction - in this case the householder's car. He incurred costs to have the door repaired by the non-DHF member company that originally installed the door. He subsequently had to have a completely new garage door installed by a different company which is a member of the DHF.

When Nick Perkins examined video footage of the original door he told Dom Littlewood: "This made me cringe, you can imagine someone losing a finger. This door was not fit for purpose and would not have been safe nor legally compliant.

He said the DHF, which represents the UK's leading suppliers and installers of domestic garage doors, is aware of "a high number of substandard doors in the market at the moment. We are working with Trading Standards to address this problem. As many as a third of the garage doors on the market are indeed not fit for purpose and are not safe."

In the TV programme, consumer lawyer Kevin Poulter spelled out the rights of the consumer who has a product that is not fit for purpose. He has the right for a full refund within a short period of time following purchase, or partial refund or exchange after a longer period. After that, he said, it is up to the consumer to prove that something is not fit for purpose and that could involve getting experts involved. If the company involved rejects a claim that the product is not fit for purpose then the complaint should be escalated to a higher level by getting Trading Standards involved.

On the programme Nick Perkins advised viewers that there are three ways of ensuring their automatic garage door is fit for purpose and is safe:

• Look for a so-called "hold to run" function where the button on the control panel or remote has to be held down to enable the garage door to continue ascending or descending

• If the door opens or closes automatically at the touch of the button then there needs to be a sensitive edge at the bottom of the door or an intelligent drive unit that will halt and retract the door if it encounters an obstacle

• If the garage door is on a timer and is set to close after a pre-determined time, then there should be both leading edge touch sensitivity and a light detection beam across the garage entrance.

For more information on domestic garage door safety contact the DHF on 01827 52337 or visitwww.dhfonline.org.uk.

To watch the May 27Don't Get Done, Get Domvisithttp://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05xcwy1/dont-get-done-get-dom-series-9-18-fit-for-purpose

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Note to editors: The DHF represents all the key players in the following sectors: garage doors, industrial/commercial doors, powered gates, metal & timber doorsets and locks & architectural hardware. With the ultimate aim of maintaining and raising quality standards throughout the industry, all DHF members must meet minimum standards of competence and customer service. They all operate within a Code of Conduct governing standards of workmanship, quality assurance, training, safety business integrity and CE marking compliance.

Issued on behalf of the DHF by

Ainsworth Public Relations

0161 427 3861

Door & Hardware Federation

01827 52337

www.dhfonline.org.uk

PICTURE CAPTION

Pictured: Nick Perkins from the DHF gives householders valuable advice on domestic garage door safety to consumer champion Dom Littlewood in the BBC TV campaigning programmeDon't Get Done, Get Dom.