Top 10 Ways to Childproof Your Garage
A garage can be a very tempting playground for a child. The tools and stored items in a garage can turn from useful to dangerous once children gain access to them.
That's why garage owners with kids or grandchildren need to employ every possible method to prevent accidents. Here are the top ten ways to childproof your garage.
SECURE THE ENTRANCE
The most obvious way to make sure kids are safe around the garage is to deny them access by always locking the garage doors and placing the opener somewhere children can't reach. However, no area of the house can stay sealed-off all of the time. That's why the inside of the garage needs to be secure.
DON'T LEAVE LIQUIDS AROUND
Naturally, all toxic liquids need to be securely stored away and kept in tight-sealed containers. Something people tend to forget is that containers of water can also be dangerous for kids. It doesn't take a lot of water to cause drowning, so the homeowner should secure all water like other liquids.
TOOL SAFETY
Introducing kids to what specific tools are, what they're used for, and the dangers of handling them might be useful for safety and practical skills. Don't underestimate how well children can understand the risk if it's adequately explained to them.
SECURE VEHICLES
Both the doors and trunk of the garaged car should be locked. This isn't just to secure the vehicle interior, though. Door and trunk edges should be considered dangerous surfaces, and there might be potentially hazardous items inside the vehicle itself. Bikes must also be secured so that they can't fall over.
TEACH KIDS ABOUT SAFE BEHAVIOR
A vital part of teaching kids about garage safety is to demonstrate safe behavior. Children should never see an adult handle tools without protective gloves, safety goggles, or ear defenders. They also need to learn why it's essential to take precautions and handle all garage items with care.
REMOVE ANY FIRE HAZARDS
Flammable materials, torches, matches, and even powerful light sources have to be locked away, ideally in a compartment that's out of reach. If all fire hazards aren't secured, a simple accident could start a fire in seconds, even when adults are involved.
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS UNPLUGGED
Electrical appliances, especially power tools, should be unplugged at all times, save for when using them. Some devices are best kept locked away. Even items that don't seem dangerous could suffer an electric cable malfunction.
CLEAN UP
Debris and clutter should have no place in a garage, children present or not. Stacked items can topple over, and things lying on the floor can cause someone to trip, especially objects with sharp edges or pointy ends.
LOCK UP DANGEROUS TOOLS
Certain tools need to be secured behind a lock no matter how often they're used. For instance, anyone could accidentally fire a nail gun, including well-informed kids, so it should never be readily accessible
DON'T LET KIDS ALWAYS PLAY ON THEIR OWN
There are many benefits to spending more time with children. Engaging in their playtime and activities more often will mean less chance of them venturing to the garage alone. The best way to secure the garage is to make sure children never enter it without supervision.
LONGTERM SAFETY
Childproofing the garage doesn't stop at preventing children from accessing it. Kids are excellent learners, and every piece of knowledge and experience you pass on to them will be a sure step towards safety.
Call Quick Response Garage Door Service: we are your Arizona garage door service specialists.
602-274-3667 (Phoenix) or 520-219-3667 (Tucson)
