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Since 1993, automatic garage door openers have been required by law to include a photoelectric safety beam that stops the door when anything passes before the beam. Modern door openers are safe, as long as you maintain them and use common sense around children. In the years following World War II, a new highway system enabled drivers to work farther from home. After a hard day at work, upon reaching their driveway, some enjoyed the ability to press numbers on a keypad posted at the end of the driveway to open the garage door. By the 1970s, the automatic garage door opener was a popular home accessory. Convenience soon proved to have its downside, as early models just kept going once they were activated. As a result, at least 68 children were killed by descending garage doors that pinned the child between the door and the ground, while countless others were injured. By 1982, legislation was beginning to be put in place that made garage doors safer. Ensuring Safety For Automatic Garage Doors The first laws required: • That the door have a quick release mechanism on the trolley that operates the door so that the door could be disconnected from the system and open manually • That the quick release handle be no more than 6 feet from the ground, high enough for an adult to use but out of the range of children. • That the wall console or push button be 5 feet or more from the floor • That remote controls be kept out of the hands of children • That the door automatically reverse direction if it hit a solid object While these laws were a good start, they did not go far enough to prevent injury and death. Considering that a garage door can weigh several hundred pounds, having the door stop and reverse when it hit a tiny body did not stop the injuries and deaths. By 1992, new rules were in place for doors manufactured after beginning the following January, which required: • That doors include a secondary safety reversing system such as a photoelectric eye mounted no more than 6 inches from the ground, or • That the door have an electric safety edge mounted on the bottom of the door that would reverse with just 15 pounds of pressure upon contact with an object • That doors have an approved alternate system that activates reverse action • That door opener manufacturers comply with standards set forth by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) • That door manufacturers label their products with the date of manufacture and compliance with standards, that sellers provide a complete set of installation, operation, maintenance, and testing instructions, and that installers comply with the instructions Going Beyond The Electric Eye Although these laws have been effective enough to require no subsequent legislation, garage doors still pose enough of a risk to account for numerous accidents each year. Though the doors are designed to be safer than in the past, there is an intrinsic risk when you get in the way of an object that weighs hundreds of pounds. Though there are occasionally manufacturer defects that cause the door not to activate safety features, the problems often lie in poor maintenance or failure to use common sense. If your household is among the 35 million that features a garage door opening system, you should both test the opener to make sure that the protective features work and also arrange for periodic professional maintenance. To test the door, you can place a 2 inch block of wood in the path of the descending door. Then, time what happens. Due to the safety beam features, the door should reverse direction within two seconds of starting to descend. If it doesn't, call a professional garage door repair company. Your Garage Door Opener Is Not A Toy Even though today's toddlers play with $500 iPhones and iPads, simple buttons still hold enormous appeal to youngsters, as any parent can attest. Make a point to keep your garage door remote out of the hands of children. If you have the door openers installed as a smart phone app, watch that your children don't have access to them. Follow manufacturer's instructions about installing safety escapes and control buttons under the easy range of children while warning them to stay away. Most importantly, watch your garage door as it descends to make sure that kids are out of the way. When you buy a garage door opener, you might be interested in other features on modern products that promote home security or allow you to access the garage even when your power is out. Some models even offer integrated carbon monoxide sensor to alert you of unsafe levels of CO in the garage. Choosing the right garage door opener can offer you the safety, security, and convenience features you need.
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