Citing 32 deaths since 1982 to children under 12 years of age caused by automatic garage doors, safety experts are again warning parents to prohibit children from playing games with garage door openers. In addition, to the 32, two more deaths were reported earlier this week in Minnesota involving a nine-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy.
Reconstructing the accident scenario, the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said children activate the garage door opener, the run out of the garage in an effort to beat the door before it closes. Deaths occur when the descending door strikes the child and pins him or her to the ground. Even garage doors equipped with an automatic reverse mechanism have been involved in fatalities.
CPSC urged parents to keep remote control devices locked in the accessory compartment of the car to prevent access by children. Wall-mounted switches, which activate doors, should be moved far out of reach of young children.
Homeowners should also refer to the owner's manual for instructions on checking the automatic reverse feature on the doors. CPSC said homeowners may want to adjust the opener's sensitivity switch so that the door reverses under the least possible pressure.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products.
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