Tips for Child Garage Door Safety

All parents naturally want their children to be safe at all times, and for homeowners, areas like the garage are important to consider here. Garages are among the largest and heaviest mechanical items in any home or building, and due to this and an operational nature that many kids don’t fully understand, proper care and rules are needed in this area.

At Crawford Door Sales, we’re here to help by providing only the safest, highest-quality garage doors and operating equipment. Here are some basic tips from our pros on keeping your garage door and the entire garage area safe and secure for children.

Proper Parts

First and foremost, you set a safety baseline for the entire household or building when you purchase high-quality parts from a vendor like Crawford Door Sales. The number one risk related to garage doors is faulty equipment, but that won’t be an issue when you buy from us. All our products are factory tested and certified for safety and durability. Any safety tactics you use for your children around the garage depend on its components functioning properly, and that should be your primary goal.

Not Toys

Once your materials are properly purchased and/or installed, it’s time to set a few basic rules with your children about these garage door parts. The overarching theme here is this: These parts are not toys, and should not be treated with caution at absolutely all times.

This includes all garage components, but the most common one parents have to warn their kids about is the automatic garage remote. With flashing lights and buttons that they’ll quickly realize cause the door to open and close, this item is the one that most closely resembles a toy kids will want to play with. We recommend keeping this remote out of the reach of all younger children, and only trusting kids with it when they’ve proven they can use it responsibly.

Questions to Ask

Some of the other garage safety elements relate to storage, clutter, access and other areas. A few important questions to ask yourself here:

• Do I store chemicals in the garage? If so, are they all carefully sealed and kept out of reach of children?
• Is the general garage space free of clutter?
• How easy is it for my child to access the garage?
• Are my vehicles locked even while not in use?
• Do any of the items I store in the garage pose a safety risk to children? If so, are they stored out of reach?

Tactics to Consider

A few basic childproofing themes we’ve found success with over the years:

• Maintenance: Having the garage door regularly maintained is the number one way to promote garage safety, including for children.
• Clean up: If you use the garage for storage, particularly of heavier tools or supplies, don’t leave these lying around where they can become hazards (or mistaken toys). Keep them away from children while also clearing up the space for them to move around in.
• Chemicals: Keep all chemicals or hazardous substances completely away from children – we recommend locked cabinets if possible.

  For more on how to keep the garage safe for kids, or to learn about any of our garage door products, speak to the staff at Crawford Door Sales today.