CLASS OF OPERATION – Effective March 1, 2000, all UL listed operators are classified according to the UL325 Class of Operation Glossary.

Residential Vehicular Gate Operator - Class I - A vehicular gate operator (or system) intended for use in a home of one-to four single family dwelling, or garage or parking area associated therewith.

Commercial / General Access Vehicular Gate Operator - Class II - A vehicular gate operator (or system) intended for use in a commercial location or building such as a multi-family housing unit (five or more single family units), hotel, garages, retail store, or other building servicing the general public.

Industrial / Limited Access Vehicular Gate Operator - Class III - A veicular gate operator (or system) intended for use in an industrial location or building such as a factory or loading dock area or other locations not intended to service the general public.

Restricted Access Vehicular Gate Operator - Class IV - A vehicular gate operator (or system) intended for use in a guarded industrial location or building, such as an airport security area or other restricted access locations not serving the general public, in which unauthorized access is prevented via supervision by security personnel.

ENTRAPMENT PROTECTION TYPES - Vehicular gate operators that are listed to the UL 325 Safety Standard (September 18, 1998 Revision) must have provisions for, or be supplied with, at least one independent primary and one independent secondary means to protect against entrapment. (UL 325, 30A.1.1)

Type A - Inherent entrapment sensing system.

Type B1 - Provision for connection of a non-contact sensor (photoelectric sensor or the equivalent).

Type B2 - Provision for connection of a contact sensor (edge device or the equivalent).

Type C - Inherent adjustable clutch or pressure relief device.

Type D - Provision for connection of an actuating device requiring continuous pressure to maintain opening or closing motion of the gate.

Type E - An inherent audio alarm.

GATE RELEASE - The UL Standard for Safety (UL 325, 30A.1.20) requires that a gate operator shall have a means for manual operation so that the gate is capable of being moved independently of the operator.  For a Class I, II or III vehicular gate operator, the means for operation shall be supplied as an integral part of the operator.  For a Class IV vehicular gate operator, the use of a nearby keyed release or a remotely located non-keyed release to release the operator from the gate meets the intent of this requirement.

Fail-Safe - During a power outage or operator shutdown, the gate operator assumes a safe condition and allows the gate to be manually pushed open without the need of any release keys, tools, cranks or other devices.  This is the preferred method of manual operation by most Fire Department Authorities.

Fail-Secure - During a power outage, the gate operator remains in a locked condition and requires a key to place the gate in manual operation.  If a shutdown is caused by an entrapment condition and alarm, the operator assumes the fail-safe condition as described above.