We all complain at times about the safety of our garage doors and fail to see that we're not always doing what's right for our own safety. There are two ways of looking at the problem. We can either consider what the main reasons for garage door accidents are or whether we follow at the very least the basic safety rules. Either way our goal can be accomplished since we know what causes accidents or even small injuries and what we can do to avoid them. Knowing what to do and what to avoid are the two sides of the same coin.
What to do and what NOT do to for higher safety
Let's see what the main reasons for accidents are starting from the most common ones and moving to the most unlikely things to happen.
- Hand and finger injuries are the most common accidents. We do have a tendency to place our fingers in the joints of our sectional doors especially when we're moving them manually. Apart from the fact that there are safety sections on the market that won't allow you to put your fingers in between, you can also install a simple handle and use it.
- Doors collapse more often than we think for many reasons: bad installation, improper garage door track adjustment, loose parts or failure to take care of problems on time. So, do make sure every part is okay and the door is properly installed.
- Many accidents occur during DIY garage door repairs. It's not safe to fix problems on your own even if tasks sound to be harmless. They never are. It's not accidental that people are often seriously injured especially by springs. So, refrain from repairing parts and especially those under tension.
- Accidents also happen when children race under the closing overhead door. Apart from teaching kids what NOT to do in relation to garage doors, it is also essential to check the sensors often.
- Other accidents are related to broken glasses, children riding on the door and problems popping due to lack of good maintenance and immediate repairs.
So, ask yourself which of these things you do and which ones you don't. Do you let your children play with the remote controls and the door? Do you often do repairs on your own? The only thing you should do is make sure the whole system is maintained properly and frequently, issues are fixed at once and the reverse mechanism is often tested. In order to do that, you should attempt to stop the door as it is closing on the floor. In this case, it should stop and reverse. Try holding it when it is moving upwards. It should stop. If it fails to stop moving in either case, the sensors would need repairs. Though, your safety is also determined by the condition of all parts. It's not only important that garage door parts are fixed properly and maintained regularly but they must also be of excellent quality in terms of materials and also installed right.