After all, the garage door is the largest and heaviest moving object in most homes. It can cause injury or even death if damaged or misused.

Garage Door Care wants to make sure that you and your family know how to operate and maintain your garage door system safely at all times. You are the key to garage door safety.

Here are 10 things everyone in your household should know about garage door safety. It’s a good idea to review these with everyone in your household from time to time – especially children.

1. The garage door and garage door opener are not toys. They are dangerous if misused, and can cause serious injury or even death.
2. Children should never be allowed to play with the garage door or its operating system. Children should never stand, run or play under or near any garage door, especially when the door is open or moving. Learn more about garage door safety for children.
3. Adults should not allow children access to the remote controls or push button wall controls for garage door opener systems; these should be kept out of reach of children. The push button wall control for a garage door operating system should be mounted at least five feet off the floor, out of the reach of children. Learn more about garage door safety for children.
4. Never stand or walk under a moving garage door. Never try to enter or exit the garage by racing under a moving garage door.
5. When opening or closing the garage door, always keep the door in view until the door is fully opened or fully closed. Make certain that no adults, children or animals try to enter or exit while the door is closing.
6. Keep fingers and hands away from door sections when the door is opening or closing to avoid injury.
7. Keep your garage door properly maintained to keep it operating safely. Annual maintenance by a trained service technician is recommended. There are other tests and maintenance tasks that you can perform. Learn more about garage door maintenance.
8. Remember that your garage door opener uses electricity, which can shock or kill if mishandled. Service should be performed by a trained service technician. Locate a qualified professional near you.
9. Never attempt to repair a garage door’s springs or cables. These are under extreme tension and can cause severe injury or even death. These are best repaired by a trained service technician. Locate a qualified professional near you.
10. If someone has backed into the garage door (yes, it does happen – all of us are in a hurry at one time or another), it’s a good idea to have the door inspected and/or repaired by a trained service technician. Even if the door doesn’t appear to be severely damaged, the operating system may have become misaligned and wear prematurely, creating what could be a dangerous environment.

Tips provided by the International Door Association 

In addition, UL325 requires that all garage door openers manufactured since 1993 include safety sensors which cause the garage door to reverse back up if an object is blocking the opening.