For many households today, the garage door is the main entrance inside. Garage doors can weigh up to a couple hundred pounds and have a lot of moving parts. Did you know that on average 20,000 people visit the ER each year to be treated for injuries related to garage doors? Garage door safety should be understood well to protect you and your family. Here are some tips you can talk about with your loved ones, and even print out to hang in the garage for everyone to see.
- Keep the garage organized and neat. Less clutter means less chances to trip and fall on the concrete floor.
- Keep tools put away. Store ladders in a horizontal position parallel to the wall and out of the way. Make sure all pointed and sharp objects are out of reach.
- Garage doors are not toys; they can be very dangerous. Children often entertain themselves by running under a closing door. A door can trap or injure a child.
- This is why garage doors come with safety sensors or “eyes”. These eyes are between four to six inches off the ground on both the left and right sides of the opening. Some older garage doors may not have this feature. If your door doesn’t, it is recommended that you have some installed.
- Call Direct Service Overhead Garage Door Company for tune ups, garage door maintenance, and inspection. A door that is not maintained properly can be a pain, but it can also pose a safety hazard. Torsion springs hold an immense amount of energy, and when broken, release all of it on anything nearby. You do not want to be near if this happens. In addition to that, a broken spring can also cause a garage door to fall suddenly.
- Garage Door Openers should be in adult possession and reach at all times. When operating the garage door remote, make sure no person or animal is in the vicinity, and that you are able to see the door make its motions. Besides the weight of a garage door, the moving panels and hinges can pinch fingers.