EN 16005 explained — the safety standard for automatic doors
SS-EN 16005 describes how automatic pedestrian doors should be risk-assessed, safeguarded, checked and documented. The standard provides practical guidance for installation and maintenance and supports the CE marking process.
What is EN 16005?
EN 16005's full title is "Power operated pedestrian doorsets — Safety in use — Requirements and test methods". The standard covers power-operated doors for pedestrian use: automatic sliding, swing and revolving doors, as well as balanced and folding doors with horizontally moving leaves — indoors and outdoors, including doors on escape routes.
Industrial doors, garage doors and gates are not covered — they fall under EN 12453 — and power-operated pedestrian gates and barriers are handled in EN 17352.
EN 16005 and CE marking under the Machinery Directive
A power-operated door counts as a machine under the EU Machinery Directive and must be CE marked before it is put into service. The legal requirements are in the directive, implemented in Sweden through the Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations. EN 16005 is voluntary but harmonised under the directive. Following the standard gives a presumption of conformity with the safety requirements it covers, not automatically with every requirement that applies to the door.
Whoever assembles the door leaf, operator and sensors into a finished doorset, often the installer, normally takes on the manufacturer's responsibilities for the whole doorset. These include risk assessment, technical documentation, declaration of conformity and CE marking. For a complete factory-built doorset installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, those responsibilities normally remain with that manufacturer.
The requirements in brief
The standard sets requirements in three main areas:
- Risk assessment: every installation must be risk-assessed for its environment. In the 2023 edition the assessment is based on the consequence of an accident rather than on user groups — in practice, most powered doors should now be treated as high-risk.
- Protective measures: crushing, shearing and impact points must be safeguarded up to a height of 2.5 metres, with safety distances for fingers, head and body. Protective sensors must comply with EN 12978 and be function-tested every door cycle, and safety-related control systems must reach performance level PL c — PL d on escape routes.
- Low-energy operation: without sensors, the door may only run in low-energy mode, with at most 67 N stopping force at the closing edge and at most 1.69 J of kinetic energy.
Inspection, service and maintenance
EN 16005 requires the doorset, including its protective devices, to be regularly maintained per the manufacturer's specification, and the standard states that the safety systems should be checked at least once a year by a competent person — more often in high-traffic environments.
In Sweden, Boverket's inspection rules for power-operated devices also apply. Automatic sliding, swing and revolving pedestrian doors may be exempt from initial and periodic inspection by an accredited inspection body if they are CE marked and have a declaration of conformity. Check that the exemption covers the door in question. The owner remains responsible for care, maintenance and record-keeping.
Logbook and documentation
Documentation is central to the standard. At handover the door must come with a risk assessment, technical documentation, a declaration of conformity and user instructions including maintenance instructions. EN 16005 additionally requires that the owner is informed of the importance of recording all maintenance — in the industry this is implemented as a per-door logbook where service visits, inspections, defects and repairs are entered as they happen.
Digilog keeps the logbook, risk assessment and declaration of conformity together for each door. The logbook can be accessed via a QR label or CE plate, and the installer and property owner can view the same history.
Who is responsible for what?
The installer is responsible for their installation work. When the installer is also the manufacturer of the finished door, this includes risk assessment, protective measures, technical documentation, declaration of conformity and CE marking.
The property owner or responsible business must arrange ongoing care, maintenance and documentation. Plan safety checks according to the manufacturer's instructions and the standard's recommendation of at least once a year. This ongoing duty does not replace the installer's or manufacturer's responsibility for the original installation. A shared logbook makes it easier to track what has been done.
Frequently asked questions about EN 16005
Is EN 16005 mandatory?
No, the standard is voluntary. It gives a presumption of conformity with the Machinery Directive's safety requirements that it covers. The legal requirements apply whether or not the standard is used.
How often must automatic doors be checked under EN 16005?
Safety functions should be checked by a competent person at least once a year. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and adjust the interval to suit traffic levels and the environment.
What is the difference between EN 16005 and EN 12453?
EN 16005 covers power-operated pedestrian doorsets — sliding, swing and revolving doors. EN 12453 covers industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates, and EN 17352 covers power-operated pedestrian gates and barriers.
Do automatic doors in Sweden need inspection by an accredited body?
Not always. CE-marked automatic sliding, swing and revolving pedestrian doors with a declaration of conformity may qualify for an exemption. This does not remove the duties of care, maintenance and record-keeping or replace safety checks.
What does "CE 16005" mean?
The term mixes up CE marking and EN 16005. CE marking concerns the door's conformity with applicable rules. EN 16005 is a safety standard used to help demonstrate this.