3 ways to make your garage safe

When thinking about the biggest risks to your home, it’s easy to overlook your garage. However, with dangerous chemicals, a high potential for break-ins and powered equipment, your garage easily becomes a hidden homeowners’ hazard.

Help keep your garage and family safe by completing these three tasks: maintenance, organization and protection.

1. Maintain your garage.
The first step in keeping a safe garage is performing simple maintenance checks to be sure everything is working properly. Visually examine your garage door and look for loose nuts and bolts, frayed cables and rusted springs. Also, test the manual release function and the auto-stop system. To test the automatic reversal system, place an object like a brick or wooden block in the path of the closing door. If working properly, the closing door should detect the object and automatically open back up.

If you notice any wear and tear or hear any concerning noises, contact a garage door professional to examine and repair your door.

Another helpful maintenance tip – clean your garage every six months. With all of the chemicals and equipment in your garage, it’s essential to keep a clean space to minimize risk.

2. Organize your garage.
In addition to having a clean and well-maintained garage, it’s important to be organized and to safely store items. Chemicals should be placed in a locked box on a high shelf, out of reach from small children. This includes cleaning solutions, glues, pool supplies, pest-control products and more.

Also, make sure that all tools and lawn care equipment are stored out of reach or are properly mounted to the wall. And when it comes to powered tools or equipment, like a lawn mower, make sure each one has[…]

# # #

Continue to read this Grange Insurance article.