Which statement best describes Fail-Secure?

• A. It allows manual gate movement during power failure
• B. It places the operator in manual operation and prevents manual movement until the release is engaged; limit settings are preserved
• C. It requires no release mechanism
• D. It affects only speed settings

Answer: (B)

Fail-secure describes how the gate system behaves when power is lost: the operator shifts into a controlled manual mode and cannot be moved manually until a release is engaged. This ensures the gate doesn’t move unexpectedly during a power fault and that the end positions (limits) remain as configured. The release mechanism is typically an intentional, authorized action, so manual operation is possible only when someone purposefully disengages the lock. That’s why this option is the best description. The other ideas imply free manual movement without a release, or omit the release mechanism, or focus only on speed—none of which capture the safety and control distinction that fail-secure embodies.