Garage Door Safety Can Be Heightened with Greater Awareness and Attentiveness

There are no shortages of warnings on packages and product labels with respect to risks of personal injury when the item is used incorrectly or without proper precautions.  While this is often mandated by law for the manufacturer/supplier, it is the responsibility of the user or the consumer to read and heed these recommendations and warnings.

For the most part, the purchasers or users of these goods do adhere to their responsibilities, and particularly when there is some risk/danger to the well-being of their children and pets.  This is not to say that adults are carefree, or careless, in such circumstances but rather that there is a heightened awareness on their part when safety concerns apply to their children.

There is at least one circumstance, however, where precautions and attention to safety may be lacking, even though it may be unintentional; this relates to injuries that can be directly attributed to the garage door –injuries to adults, children, and pets that can be prevented with a little education and some added attention when in proximity to the garage door itself.

The month of June has been designated as Garage Door Safety Month; the intent, of course, is to bring attention to the types of injuries that can be attributed to garage doors and their parts and to educate homeowners and their families on increased safety and methods of prevention.  Here are some of the more common ways in which people can and do sustain injuries from a garage door, in no particular order:

• Children opening/closing the door as part of a game
• Racing to enter the garage before the door fully closes
• Fingers caught in the tracks, springs, or between the rollers
• Hand, wrist, or finger damage from attempts to repair a spring
• Gashes that result from clean-up/repair of broken window inserts
• Unexpected door movements from broken/malfunctioning sensors
• Cuts/possible infections caused by metal tracking, other sharp edges

There are likely other exotic or curious-and-unusual types of injuries that will undoubtedly occur as a result of individual inattentiveness or a lack of respect, for want of another word, for the force, weight, hardware, and mechanisms associated with garage doors; however, there should be sufficient evidence presented here to raise garage door safety to a greater level of consciousness.  And if this can begin in the month of June, in alignment with Garage Door Safety Month, it can and subsequently should be applied on a year-round basis also.

Garage Door Inspections Are an Integral Part of Practicing Garage Door Safety

Another important aspect to garage door safety relates to ongoing maintenance and repair. When garage doors are kept in good and proper working order, it can help to minimize or reduce the risk of injury to homeowners and their family members.

Garage doors are subjected to repeated use on a regular basis and they are also exposed to seasonal weather extremes.  Both of these factors can have a negative impact on overall door performance as well as its general condition; therefore, it would be prudent to conduct a thorough garage door inspection on an annual, if not semi-annual basis, to ensure that all aspects of the door are in an optimal working state.

Such inspections can be performed by technicians from an experienced and reliable garage door services provider like Markham Garage Doors.  These knowledgeable technicians will conduct a systematic/comprehensive garage door inspection to assess the ongoing viability of all components, including:

• Torsion springs
• Cables and pulleys
• Rollers and tracking
• Door panels/hardware
• Door opener and sensors
• Insulation/weather stripping

Subsequently, should the garage door inspection identify any maintenance or repair needs, the Markham Garage Doors technicians have the skills necessary to quickly and effectively remedy the issues; this will return the garage door to a more optimal state in relation to:

• Performance
• Safety/Security
• Longevity/Lifespan

Please visit our Website for additional information on the garage door inspection and repair services available from the professionals at Markham Garage Doors.

June is Garage Door Safety Month, with the intention of bringing heightened awareness and attention to the potential risks for garage door-related injuries.  One important step in this process will be to ensure that your garage door is in prime physical condition and in proper working order.  Call the specialists at Markham Garage Doors today at (905) 472-9178 or (416) 570-3667 to book a garage door inspection and determine whether any repairs or maintenance actions are needed to help protect you and your family from possible injury.