Apparatus and methods for assembling, installing, and operating a manually operated gate (e.g., a safety gate). The manually operated safety gate can include a gate frame and a spring assembly. The gate frame can include a proximal upright member, a distal upright member, an upper arm, and a lower arm. The proximal upright member can be anchored to a stationary surface. The upper arm and lower arm can be pivotably coupled to the proximal upright member and distal upright member to form a parallelogram. The manually operated gate can be configured to pivot between self-close position and a closed position at a constant angular velocity. A kit can contain the required structural components and instructions and can be used to assemble the manually operated gate assembly.