Garage Door Safety

Most people tend to overlook the fact that garage doors are probably the largest and heaviest moveable object contained within a property and as such, they can be very dangerous if not kept well maintained and used correctly with regards to their safety.

Automatic Electric Garage Doors

Like most other things that make people’s lives more convenient, garage doors have become increasingly more sophisticated over the years. These days many people choose to have electric doors which are operated remotely. This can be done either by pushing a button inside the garage or by an infra red remote controlled device which saves you from having to get out of the car when you arrive home. If you can operate an automatic door from a switch located inside the garage, make sure it is fitted above the reach of young children.

The important thing when it comes to electrically operated garage doors is to ensure that they are fitted with a pressure-sensitive device which will cause the door to stop or even to reverse whenever it sensors a nearby object.

Garage Door Maintenance

Whether you have the latest remotely operated garage doors or older manually operated doors, you should make regular checks of mechanisms and fixings, such as the track, springs and cables. If springs get broken or cables become worn or frayed, garage doors could slam shut much faster than intended and potentially cause severe injury.

If your garage has a ‘roll up’ door, make sure that you have rubber cushioning in the channels between each panel which will lessen the chance of injury through getting your fingers pinched and when closing the door, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use the handles or the recommended gripping points.

Pointing Out The Dangers To Children

Unless specifically designed to provide an extra room to play in, garages are not suitable places for young children and in general, they should never be left unsupervised in them. If you do allow your children to come into the garage whilst you’re working however, you should ensure that they are aware of the dangers of garage doors and that they know to keep well away from them.

Electrically operated doors, in particular, can seem a very appealing proposition to youngsters who may be likely to be tempted to try to run in and out before the garage door closes. For safety’s sake, teach all children that a garage door is dangerous and that they shouldn’t go anywhere near it or any remotely controlled operating device. Always ensure that any remote controlled door device is kept well out of the way of young children.

Make sure that the person who is operating the door watches it closely whilst it is moving. This will serve also to add as an additional security check so that others can be warned if, for whatever reason, the door malfunctions.