Ul 325 And Gate Operators; What Is Ul; Development Of Ul-325; Overview Of Ul-325 And Gates - B&B ARMR LXL-15vp-SS Installation Manual

Installation and Operations Manual — LXL Gate Operator

1. UL 325 And Gate Operators

1.1 What Is UL?

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1894, is self-
described as "the leading third-party certification organization in the United States and the
largest in North America." UL's primary stated mission is "to evaluate products in the
interest of public safety." Note that while UL declares it is the "leading" third-party
certification, it is not the only one. There are other testing laboratories and certification
organizations in the United States.

1.2 Development Of UL-325

The first edition of UL-325 was released in 1973. That edition was primarily focused on the
electric operation of garage doors and did not contain provisions for gates. After federal
laws were enacted in the early 1990's, citing the provisions of UL-325 as applicable to
garage door operation, DASMA members of the gate operator industry initiated the
inclusion of electric gate operator provisions in UL-325. Some government agencies and
other interested groups have monitored the standard's progress and have provided input on
the final format of the provisions of the standard that relate to gate operators.

1.3 Overview Of UL-325 And Gates

Highlights of UL-325 include the following:
• A glossary which defines each type of operator
• Different "classes" of gate operators
• Entrapment protection criteria for each "class" of operator
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• Entrapment alarm criteria
• Requirements for gate construction and installation
• Instructional requirements placing increased responsibility on installers
A key part of the UL-325 standard is a table that summarizes the entrapment device options for
different classes of operators of the various types of gates included in the standard. The table,
labeled "Table 31.1", is reproduced here from the 5th edition of the Standard for Safety for
Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems, UL-325. It is reprinted with
the permission of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. Refer to the table as you read about the
provisions that are described in the following sections.
In this document, "entrapment" is defined as "the condition when an object is caught or held in a position
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that increases the risk of injury."
B&B ARMR
A Division of B&B Roadway and Security Solutions
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0054-9001UL Revision A2