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Garage Door Safety: Tips and Strategies

clopay residential garage doors

June marks the official start of summer and, with more people outside enjoying the warm weather, it has appropriately been designated garage door safety month. Now is a great time to review some of the basics of overhead garage door safety for children and anyone else who enjoys spending time outdoors. Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know.

Know the Danger Spots

Each year, countless people suffer from everything from mild scrapes and bruises to debilitating injuries as a result of garage door accidents. Some of the most common types of incidents involve:

  • Getting fingers caught in between sections of the door as it opens or closes
  • Trying to sneak in under the door before it closes
  • Broken glass or sharp edges that cause cuts and scrapes

Every one of the above injuries is 100% preventable if you make the safety and proper maintenance of your garage door a priority.

Safety Tips for Children

A garage door may seem harmless enough, but it has the potential to seriously injure a young child if used improperly. Keep your children safe by:

  • Supervising outdoor play: Treat your garage door the same way you would a swimming pool or any other danger area in the yard. Keep a watchful eye on children as they play nearby, and don’t allow them anywhere near the opener or other controls.
  • Teaching the risks: It doesn’t take long to go over the basics of garage door safety with a child. Let them know that a garage door isn’t a toy and to stay away when the door is opening and closing.

Safety Tips for Adults

Children aren’t the only only ones at risk of a garage door injury. To ensure your own overhead door safety:

  • Educate yourself. Make sure you understand how your garage door works. Review its instruction manual to learn how to operate it properly, and familiarize yourself with its safety features.
  • Inspect your door regularly. Since it is garage door safety month, June is a great time to perform a comprehensive visual inspection and do any garage door maintenance that is necessary. Check to ensure that springs, cables, pulleys and other components are free of wear and working properly.
  • Make sure the reverse function works. Test the door’s reverse function by placing a roll of paper towels in its path and confirming that it retracts automatically upon contact — all garage doors manufactured after 1993 should have this important safety feature.
  • Know the limits of your DIY abilities. Major service or repairs to a garage door must be done by a qualified professional. Trying to fix it yourself can easily lead to serious injury. If something isn’t working the way it should, get in touch with an authorized repairperson right away.

Are there any other garage door safety tips haven’t listed? Let us know. Keep your loved ones safe this month, and all months. If you need a new or replacement garage door at your home or business, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

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