04.22.2022
Safety First – What causes garage door related injuries?
May is Garage Door Safety Month. We want to help you recognize the importance of garage door safety with these 10 common garage door related injuries, and how they can be prevented.
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Playing With Garage Doors
Child injuries occur with garage doors, whether riding them or racing in and out as the door closes as a way to have fun.
To prevent this, it’s simply a matter of making sure that you are educating any children in the house that garage doors are not toys.
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Trying to Get Into the Garage Before It Closes
Over 130 people ever year are hurt, or damage the door, when they try to race under as it is closing. Modern garage doors with working sensors should prevent impacts; however it’s still a risky move.
The best way to avoid injury here is to never race the door. If you’re racing to exit your garage as the door is closing, try using an alternate route such as a smaller entry door instead.
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System Entrapments
Fingers can get caught between the rollers and the tracks if you’re not careful. This accident happens to nearly 200 people every year, and in certain cases can lead to severe injury and even amputation.
Stay clear of the door when it is in motion.
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Broken Doors
Faulty garage doors that simply aren’t working properly contributes to over 200 injuries per year. There are many reasons for a broken garage door, such as malfunctioning sensor or problems with the garage door opener.
To be sure that you’re not surprised by a broken garage door and possibly injured as a result, it’s a good idea to test all mechanical and moving parts during regular annual maintenance.
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Springs
Every year, more than 300 people suffer injuries from broken garage door springs or by getting their hands stuck while performing maintenance on them.
The best thing you can do to avoid spring-related injuries is to simply keep your hands away from these areas. Avoid DIY repair and call us for 24/7 repair service.
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Glass
If your garage door has windows, or is a contemporary glass-based design then at some point you may have to deal with broken glass. Each year, this causes more than 300 injuries.
If you do have an unfortunate glass breakage, pay attention in the clean-up. Be sure to clear up the broken glass as soon as possible and don’t leave any shards around that may cause injuries in the future.
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Sharp Edges
More than 800 people each year cut themselves on the garage door’s track or other sharp edges. Most injuries can be minor but, if the metal has rusted or is dirty, there is risk of an infection.
To prevent any cuts, stay clear of the system and call the experts in.
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Do It Yourselfers
Unfortunately, there are more than 1,600 DIY related injuries per year. Some of us prefer to work on our own garage doors rather than seek professional help. While this can be an affordable option for quick maintenance and repairs, there’s always the chance of injury if you’re not familiar with the specifics of your door and spring system.
Contact us to assess the issue and take care of it the right, and safe, way.
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Falling Doors or Sections
If garage door issues are ignored, there’s the chance that a section, or the entire door itself can fall and cause serious harm. Each year, this occurs over 2,000 times and it can do damage to people and cars.
Annual maintenance is the best way to prevent garage door malfunctions on this scale. When performing your annual tune-up, we will be sure that all bolts are tightened and hinges are in perfect working condition.
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Pinches and Crushes
One of the most common types of injury is pinching and crushing caused by the garage door’s section joints. In fact, this happens over 7,000 times per year.
To avoid this type of injury, always be careful to avoid placing your hands near any joints because you never know if you’ll be unlucky and get pinched.
Now that you know what to avoid and stay safe around your garage door, it’s the perfect time to call us to perform your annual garage door maintenance because – safety first!