Commercial Garage Door Safety

If you have a commercial garage door at your workplace, it is important to keep it in tip top shape at all times.  It is a dangerous piece of equipment that can seriously injure or kill a person.  It is also necessary to be careful around the garage door so that no one is in harm’s way.  Below are necessary safety precautions that you should take to keep you and your employees safe.  

• It may be wise to require employees to make an audible signal that the garage door is in motion.
• While it is not required, you should fit your door with an infrared sensor that will reverse the door if anything blocks the beam.  
• Do not stand or walk under the garage door when it is in motion, and do not allow anyone to do so either.   Doing so could result in injury or death.  
• Do not place any body part under the door when it is in motion: that means hands, feet, arms, legs, fingers etc.
• Do not touch the door or any of its parts when it is in motion, especially the springs and tracks.  
• Do not attempt to fix a broken door yourself.  Commercial doors are heavy, powered by a lot of electricity, and are under high tension.  If you attempt to repair it yourself, you risk injury or even death.  
• If the door comes in contact with anything large, be it equipment, an obstruction, or a person, have it inspected as soon as possible.  It could have been knocked off of the track or been compromised in some way, even if there appears to be no damage.  It may cause an unsafe environment for you or your employees.  
• Do not play with the garage door or the opener for any reason, and do not allow your employees to do so either.  It is not a toy.  Do not open and close the door except when it is absolutely necessary to do so.  
• Assign someone to watch the garage door as it goes up and down, to ensure that it opens and closes properly.  They will be responsible for keeping others away from the door, as well as making sure that it fully closes or opens.  
• Do not halt a garage door halfway, as it is heavy and dangerous.  Garage doors can slip and fall if you are not careful.
• Regularly get your garage door inspected.  Regular use can take a toll on your door, and it is important that you make sure that it is safe.