We’re not kids anymore, but we’ve all done it – activated our automatic garage door and run underneath the moving door quickly before the door closes. For us, the danger is minimal, but for children whose response times are slower than adults, one false move can be deadly. Consider these statistics on kids and garages:
Approximately four children a year are injured or killed by automatic garage doors.
Over 50% of all poisonings occurred in children under the age of 6, and
90% of all poisonings occur in the home (including the garage).
Below are ways to make your garage safer for kids:
1. Check the age of your garage door.
Doors manufactured after 1993 are equipped with safety features – the doors are outfitted with an external entrapment prevention system which acts as an electronic eye. If anything is in the way of the sensor, the door will not close. If you have a door manufactured before 1993, consider updating it. Not only will it protect your children, it will increase the value of your home.
2. Mount the garage door remote control out of the reach of children.
The location should also be where the user has a clear view of the door’s motion.
3. Know how to operate the emergency release.
The emergency release is usually the short rope hanging from the motor of the door. In an emergency, pull the cord and lift the door by hand.
4. Teach children that the garage door is not a toy.
Never play “chicken” or any other games involving the garage door.
5. Clearly mark dangerous products and store in a locked cabinet/closet/container.
Many pesticides, pool chemicals, and other poisonous substances are stored in the garage. It is important that children never have access to these chemicals.
Don Keenan, founder of the Keenan’s Kids Foundation, has published a book on child safety titled, 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe, which is available at www.balloonpress.com or at www.amazon.com . All proceeds benefit the Keenan’s Kids Foundation.
This article originally published on April 28, 2008.
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