EN 16005 and ANSI A156.10: Safety Standards for Automatic Doors

An automatic door is a machine that people walk into on purpose, dozens of times a day. Two standards define what "safe" means for that machine in most markets: EN 16005 in Europe and ANSI A156.10 in North America. Importers should know what each demands - and how to verify it.

EN 16005 governs powered pedestrian doorsets: sliding, swing and revolving. Its core ideas are force limitation (the door must not hit with dangerous force), protective detection (sensors that prevent contact), and documented commissioning - the door is safe when installed and set up correctly, not just when manufactured.

ANSI A156.10 plays the equivalent role in the United States and Canada, with detailed requirements for sensor coverage zones, closing speeds, and the guard signs and signage that must accompany powered doors.

The practical overlap is large: both standards expect presence detection in the sweep zone, limited kinetic energy, and escape-friendly behavior. A door engineered for one usually meets much of the other - but the paperwork differs, and authorities ask for the paperwork.

For hospital projects specifically, add the workflow layer on top: touchless activation, interlocks for controlled zones and hold-open behavior during bed transit all interact with the safety settings. Safety compliance and clinical usability must be commissioned together.

How to check compliance when importing: ask for the declaration of performance or compliance, the test evidence behind it, and - critically - the commissioning procedure. A supplier who cannot describe how the door is set up safely on site has sold you a test report, not a safe door.

Also confirm spare availability for the safety components - sensors and controllers are the parts that fail; a compliant door with unavailable spares degrades into a non-compliant one.

Fenghe’s automatic doors are engineered to EN 16005 principles with documented force and sensor settings, and commissioning guidance ships with every operator - ask for the compliance pack with your quotation.