SCOTTISH finger protection manufacturer Safehinge has successfully passed Chiltern Dynamics’ stringent durability testing programme with its innovative aluminium hinge protection device.

The Safehinge ALU range is designed to integrate components within the door, allowing the door to pivot without creating a gap at the hinge and prevent finger trappings.
The range is backed by a core body of fire, mechanical and acoustic test data, conducted to recognised British Standards and underwritten by established UK test centres.
The hardware installed into a doorset underwent operational and strength testing by Chiltern Dynamics to BS EN 1192: 2000 Doors. Classification of strength requirements and DD 171:1987 Guide to specifying performance requirements for hinged or pivoted doors.
The doorset equipped with the Safehinge ALU hardware achieved a ‘severe duty’ rating, representative of what DD171 refers to as the ‘frequent violent usage’ doorsets may undergo in a busy school or hospital environment.
Integrated finger protection once installed lasts the life of the door and offers whole life cost savings of up to 75 per cent (equal to around a $800 saving per door) when compared with conventional hinge cover solutions.
Safehinge commercial director Philip Ross says: “We believe that because of its durability performance under testing, our product offers substantial whole life cost savings over retrofitted plastic hinge covers.
A number of schools and public buildings in the UK have opted to install these hinges.
A report from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents estimated that more than 30,000 children seriously injure their fingers in doors every year.