2023-12-20 6 min read Mike Johnson
Garage doors are among the heaviest moving objects in most homes, weighing anywhere from 150 to over 400 pounds. When operated correctly with proper safety features, they're perfectly safe. However, accidents can and do happen. Here's your comprehensive guide to garage door safety from ${BUSINESS_INFO.name}.
Each year, approximately 30,000 people are injured in garage door-related accidents in the United States. Common injuries include: - Crushed or severed fingers, Broken bones from falling doors, Head injuries, Cuts and lacerations, Property damage to vehicles
The good news is that most of these accidents are preventable with proper precautions and well-maintained equipment.
Since 1993, all garage door openers sold in the U.S. have been required to have auto-reverse mechanisms. This feature causes the door to reverse direction if it encounters an obstacle while closing. There are two types:
Mechanical auto-reverse: Stops and reverses when the door physically contacts an object.
Photo-eye sensors: Uses infrared beams across the door opening to detect obstacles without contact.
Test both systems monthly: 1. Place a roll of paper towels in the door's path 2. Attempt to close the door 3. The door should reverse upon contact
If the door doesn't reverse, discontinue use and call for repair immediately.
These sensors, mounted about 6 inches off the ground on either side of the door, create an invisible beam. If anything breaks the beam while the door is closing, it automatically reverses. Keep sensors clean and properly aligned. If the door refuses to close and the opener light blinks, the sensors likely need attention.
Every garage door opener has a manual release.typically a red handle hanging from the trolley. This allows you to operate the door manually during power outages or opener failures. All family members should know its location and how to use it.
Modern openers include features to prevent entrapment between the door and floor, including force settings that limit how hard the door can push down and timing sensors that detect if the door is taking too long to close.
Garage door springs are under extreme tension.enough to lift a 200+ pound door repeatedly. Spring failures can be violent and dangerous.
Professional technicians have the tools and training to safely handle spring repairs. At ${BUSINESS_INFO.name}, spring replacement is one of our most common service calls.
Children are at particular risk for garage door injuries. Teach them:
1. Never play near or under a moving garage door - The door should never be treated as a toy 2. Keep fingers away from door sections - The hinges between panels can pinch or sever fingers 3. Don't touch the springs or cables - These are under tension and can cause serious injury 4. The remote is not a toy - Keep remotes out of reach of young children 5. Stop, look, and wait - Always wait until the door is completely open or closed before moving
Consider mounting wall control panels out of reach of small children.
When parking in the garage: - Wait until the door is fully open before entering, Don't try to "beat" a closing door, Use the opener's light feature to see clearly, Check mirrors to ensure the door has fully closed, Never leave the vehicle running in an enclosed garage (carbon monoxide danger)
A well-maintained garage door is a safer garage door. Include these items in your regular maintenance:
- Safety feature testing
Some garage door issues require immediate professional attention: - Springs that appear stretched or broken, Frayed or damaged cables, Door that falls quickly when closing, Panels that are severely damaged, Auto-reverse features that don't work, Door that comes off its tracks
Never attempt to repair these issues yourself. The risk of serious injury is too great.
Every household should have a plan for garage door emergencies: 1. Know where the manual release is located 2. Understand how to operate the door manually 3. Have a flashlight readily available 4. Keep the service number for ${BUSINESS_INFO.name} handy: ${BUSINESS_INFO.phoneFormatted}
Garage door safety is about awareness, maintenance, and having the right safety features in place. Modern garage doors with proper safety equipment and regular maintenance are remarkably safe. However, complacency and neglected maintenance can lead to serious consequences.
At ${BUSINESS_INFO.name}, safety is our top priority. Whether you need a safety inspection, maintenance tune-up, or emergency repair, our certified technicians are here to help. Contact us at ${BUSINESS_INFO.phoneFormatted} to schedule a comprehensive safety inspection of your garage door system.