Prevent garage hazards from harming your family

With nicer weather on the way, we’ll start seeing a flurry of activity in our neighborhoods. Neighbors will begin walking/running, grilling out, and starting yard cleanup to deal with what Mother Nature left behind.

Neighborhood kids will begin knocking on your door to see if your kids can play. Scooters, bikes, and trampolines will be back in use.

With this flurry of activity, it’s important to make sure your property is safe for your children and their friends. All too often we hear news reports about children being injured or killed while playing outside.

Here are some safety tips that can keep your children, their friends, and your neighborhood safe.

Overhead garage door

Every day we drive in and out of the garage. With the simple push of a button, we can open and close our overhead garage door without much effort.

Have you ever taken the time to make sure your garage door is operating safely? Today, overhead garage doors have photo eyes (safety sensors) that are mounted approximately six inches off the floor. If an object blocks the view of the photo eyes, the door shouldn’t close.

Bumping into the sensors with your lawnmower or bicycle, however, can knock these sensors out of alignment and result in them not operating correctly. Check out three quick safety tips from LiftMaster to make sure your garage door safety features are working properly.

Garage utility/service door

Depending on weather patterns and the direction your garage faces, wind can whip through your garage aggressively. If you leave your service door open, it’s important to make sure the wind can’t slam it shut. When my brother was a young boy, he almost lost a finger because the wind caught the door. Considerinstalling a doorstop on your service door. This way, you can go in and out when working on yard projects and your kids will remain safe.

Backing out of the driveway

So often we hear tragic stories about people backing out of their driveways and injuring or killing a small child. If you have small children, or they live in your neighborhood, be extra cautious.

If you can avoid backing out of your driveway whenever possible, that’s the safest route. If not, walk around your car and look for children playing in your driveway or riding up and down the sidewalk on their bicycles. If the area looks clear, slowly back out and listen. I recommend keeping the radio off. Laughing or screaming children can be a sign they’re entering your area. Continuously turn your head and look in the mirrors. If you have a back-up camera, don’t rely on this 100% of the time. They do have some limitations.

Uneven concrete

Winter weather can be brutal on sidewalks, driveways, and roadways, causing significant cracking and shifting of concrete. If you notice large cracks or uneven concrete on your property, consider having it repaired right away. This can help avoid trip and falls which could lead to significant injuries.

Cabinets

If your garage cabinet is like mine, you probably store chemicals and yard tools that can be dangerous to small children. Here are a couple of recommendations to keep them safe.

1. Buy a cabinet that locks.
2. Don’t store your kid’s toys on lower shelves. Buy/use a different cabinet for their toys.
3. Store dangerous chemicals or sharp pruning tools on high shelves out of the reach of children.
4. Talk to your children about safety and explain to them why they need to stay away from the cabinet.

SOURCE:  WEST BEND, Posted by Scott Stueber on Apr 25, 2017 10:00:00 AM