If you have children or own a pet you have probably taken many precautions to make sure that your house is a safe environment, childproofing doors and cabinets, adding soft bumpers to sharp edges, placing harmful substances out of reach, you know the routine. But have you considered the everyday dangers your garage poses to your children and pets? Here are 5 things you can do to make sure your garage is safe for your entire family.
- Tools can be dangerous if left out. Storing your tools (especially power tools) in cabinets or locked toolboxes is an easy way to protect curious children. Want to take your garage safety up a notch? Check that those heavy toolboxes are stable to prevent them from tipping over on small children.
- Chemicals should be stored in locked cabinets or you can purchase safety cans with lids that are designed to stay closed.
- Educate your children about garage door safety. Whether they are trying to “ride” the door as it ascends or trying to beat the door by ducking under it as it closes, these games can cause serious injury and, even, death. Talk to your children and make sure that they understand the dangers.
- Unused refrigerators or freezers should be turned to towards the wall or to be extra cautious you could remove the doors to prevent children from climbing into and becoming trapped.
- Check your Auto-Reverse functions – yes, there are two. The first reacts to the pressure of “feeling” something as it closes. Check it with a roll of paper towels which approximate the soft body of a child or pet. The second is the photo eyes that send a beam across the garage door. If that beam is broken, the garage door should reverse. Check this by using the long handle of a broom as the door is descending. If your garage door doesn’t pass both tests, call in the garage door pros.
We know that you want to keep your family safe, that’s why we recommend having your garage door safety checked once a year by a technician from a licensed garage door repair company. Having a professional carefully inspect the track and verify that all the springs and pulley’s that are under extreme tension are safe is an easy way to ensure your family’s safety.