Keep your family safe around your garage door

Garage doors injure thousands of people each year. Help keep your family safe with these tips:

1. Remind children that the garage door remote is not a toy. Keep the garage opener remote out of reach of children.

2. Teach children to keep their hands away from the joints between panels of the garage door as it is opening and closing to avoid injuries to fingers.

3. Make sure you know how to use your garage door’s emergency release feature.

4. Visually check your door springs and hardware monthly. Have a professional inspect your garage door opener at least once annually to make sure it’s working properly. If you have an older garage door opener, consider having a new one with additional safety features installed.

5. Make sure your garage door’s reversing mechanism is working. Place an unbreakable object in the door’s path and make sure the door does not close on the object. Call a repair person if the door does not go back up automatically.

6. Don’t leave your garage door cracked. It’s both a safety and a security hazard. Always make sure your garage door is completely closed before driving away from your home.