Garage Door Safety Tips for Your Kids

You may have taken all the precautions to make your home kid-proof, whether it is updating electrical or fire safety. But there is one area that is often overlooked when it comes to keeping your kids safe. Yes, we are talking about your garage. Is garage door safety a part of your overall strategy?

Garage door is heavy. That in itself makes garage a potential safety hazard for your kids and pets. In addition, just think about the kind of stuff you tend to store in our garage and it will be abundantly clear why talking about garage security to your kids should be your priority. Your garage door is home to sharp tools, heavy equipment, items that can easily catch fire and poisonous substances such as insecticides, not to mention that it is also full of things that can make your child trip, for example ropes and long electrical cords.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to teach your children how to be safe around a garage door and what to keep in mind to maintain garage door safety.

What to tell your kids

First and foremost, garage is not a place where you should leave your kids unsupervised. As a general rule, establish a practice that garage is off-limits to them. Tell your kids, again and again, if need be:

• Never stand or play near a garage door.
• Never race under a moving garage door.
• Never touch any part of the garage door, especially when the door is in motion (opening or closing)
• Don’t play with openers or the buttons installed on the wall. Make sure the button of the opener is installed at least five feet from the ground, so that your little one can’t reach it.

What you can do to ensure garage door safety

You can do only as much when it comes to teaching your kids about garage door safety. After all, they are kids and you can’t always trust them to follow these tips. As an adult, make sure your kids are never left unattended around the garage to prevent any untoward accident.

What else can you do?

Make sure remote controls are kept out of reach of children.

Regularly check if the sensors (that are meant to reverse the garage door’s direction in case something comes in its path of motion) are working fine. Also called photoelectric eyes, these sensors should not be installed higher than 6 inches from the ground. If these sensors are working smoothly, they will stop the garage door from falling down and signal it to go back if it senses any object, a child or pet stuck underneath.

Make sure your garage door always moves smoothly without shaking or making any grinding or screeching sounds. If you feel it is not opening easily or that you need to use unwarranted force to close it, call garage door repair professionals to figure out the problem. Continued issues in closing or opening the door could lead to bad accidents, making it even more dangerous for your kid.

Be regular with the garage door maintenance. This is one of the most important steps towards preventing sudden issues with your garage door.

It is also important to be mindful of what you store in your garage. Keep harmful elements away from your garage. Things like piles of newspapers, propane gas, oily rags and flammable liquids should never be kept inside the garage. Lengths of rope lying around on the floor could be a tripping hazard and cause serious injuries to your child. Another risk comes from ladders that are standing vertically. It could be tempting for kids to climb the ladders. Last but not the least, make sure you disconnect the electrical tools when not in use.

These simple tips that can a long way in ensuring garage door safety for your kids and pets. Sit down with your child and explain how it is extremely important to be careful around heavy garage doors.