Did You Know?
June Designated Garage Door Safety Month
To promote garage door safety, the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) and the International Door Association (IDA) have designated June 2004 as Garage Door Safety Month.
The IDA and its affiliated installer/servicing dealer members will be working to increase awareness of the possible hazards of garage doors and automatic opener systems, and the need for periodic inspection and maintenance to keep them safe.
The largest moving object in most homes is the garage door. Despite the reliability and sophistication of today's automatic garage door systems, they must be periodically adjusted and maintained to remain safe.
Springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other door hardware are under extremely high tension. If they show signs of wear, it's important to have them repaired or replaced by an accredited technician.
Every garage door operator manufactured since 1991 has a mechanism that reverses the door if it encounters any obstruction while closing. For safety, older door operators that lack this feature should be replaced. A door that fails to reverse could pin a child or pet under it, causing serious injury or death. The homeowner should check door-reversing mechanisms periodically by holding up the bottom of the door as it closes to see if it reverses easily.
It is also important the children not play near moving doors and that they keep their hands and fingers clear of section joints, hinges, springs, and other door parts. Garage door wall stations and transmitters should be kept out of the reach of small children.