Six Essential Ways to Improve Garage Safety
If your garage is like most, it holds many household items. A quick review of your garage’s inventory will probably list seasonal decorations, paint, cleaning supplies, gardening implements and chemicals, recreational toys, automotive products and parts, and possibly even your vehicles. Here are some tips to improve your garage safety.
Cut the Clutter
This reality leads to one of the most significant hazards lurking in most garages – clutter.
You need some place to store your various possessions, and the garage is usually a convenient solution. It’s essential to have accessible and appropriate storage for all these considerations.
The first step to making your garage safer is to make it easy to keep it organized. Not only will this improve the safety of your garage, but it also makes it easier to work in the space when it’s clean and organized.
Storing Chemicals and Flammables
Every household has paints, solvents, and cleaners requiring specific handling and storage. Flammable items should be kept from sunlight and stored in appropriate fire-proof cabinets.
Although the law may not require a commercial-grade flammable cabinet, providing that protection for your home and family is well worth the cost if you have significant quantities of these materials on hand. At a minimum, chemicals and flammable items should be appropriately secured and beyond the reach of children.
It is also a best practice to familiarize yourself with the safety information of any flammable or chemical products you bring into your home or garage.
Take out the Trash
Over time leftover paint and other chemicals can accumulate, becoming useless and unmanageable. Regularly eliminating unneeded and outdated products is as essential to garage safety as disposing of oily rags and other hazards in your garage.
Most municipalities have programs to recycle flammable and hazardous waste. Check with your local agencies to learn more about their programs.
Storage
While properly storing flammables and chemicals is critical, sufficient storage for everything from Christmas decorations to power tools is also necessary.
If there is a convenient and suitable place for everything in your garage, keeping it organized, efficient, and safe will be much easier. You may choose overhead storage for bulky items and decorations, a rolling toolbox, a slot-wall or pegboard system, or an entire garage storage system depending on your needs and space.
But whatever you choose as your solutions, make sure they have the size and weight capacity for the items you wish to store. Also, ensure that your storage units are secure and will not collapse or fall over when used. You may need to anchor them to either the floor or the wall of your garage.
Lighting
Most garages suffer from poor lighting. Only a few flickering fluorescent fixtures and a couple of bare incandescent bulbs often perform the task. Such limited visibility can lead to accidents including trip-and-fall threats.
Overall Garage Safety
Carbon monoxide can be a significant threat in your garage, especially if you have an attached garage. An attached garage should have an airtight door between the living space to prevent carbon monoxide and other fumes from endangering your home.
When performing vehicle maintenance in your garage, ensure it is well-ventilated and that you limit the run time of your vehicle. You should move the work outside if you must leave your engine running for prolonged periods.
Many families enjoy working together on garage projects like vehicle maintenance and others. To ensure your children can enjoy these activities safely, involving them early and teaching them about safety is a good idea.
A first aid kit is an essential garage safety item. Make sure your kit includes an eyewash system and an assortment of bandages.
Summary
We are only covering the high points of garage safety in this article. You can make many more choices to improve your garage’s safety. It all depends on the types of work and hobbies your garage will host.
Addressing these key elements is a significant leap forward that you can continue to build upon.
At Top Choice Garage Doors, your safety is our priority. Give us a call for an estimate on repairs.
