Written by Ashlee Denaro and published on https://medium.com/.

Curiosity is something you want to encourage in your children from a young age, but it can also be dangerous for them. This is why we lock away cleaning supplies, keep heavy objects out of reach, and soften any sharp corners they might bump into. It’s a way of creating a safe environment for them to explore and in which to satisfy their curiosities.

When it comes to hazards, the garage is one of the most dangerous areas of the house. While you might keep your child out of the garage, for the most part, it is still worth childproofing this area in, the case they wander in unsupervised.

Garage Childproofing

Garages are massive pieces of heavy equipment, and even though they are completely commonplace and familiar, they can pose a danger to animals, small children, and even full grow they n adults when they aren’t used properly. Here’s a guide from the garage door installation experts here at Los Angeles Garage Door and Gate on how to ensure that your garage is fully childproofed.

How do I know if my garage is safe for my children?

Ask the following questions of yourself and your garage:

• Can my children reach potentially dangerous tools or chemicals in my garage?
• Can my children get into the garage garbage?
• How regularly do I have my garage door maintained?
• Can I lessen the clutter in my garage?
• Can my child easily enter and exit my garage?
• Do I lock my vehicles when they are not in use?

How to childproof your garage

• Store all chemicals and potentially dangerous substances or tools in a high up area, out of the reach of children. Make sure that they are stable in this area and will not fall. You also need to make sure that smart children who know how to use counters or stools to reach these items cannot. Ideally, lock them in a cabinet, and keep the key far out of the reach of children.
• Add what’s known as a ‘Dutch Door’ to your garage exit. Close the lower half of the garage door, and allow the top half open to allow fresh air in; this will prevent the risk of dangerously getting trapped in the garage, while also adding the convenience of easily passing package into the garage from outside.
• Remove as much clutter as possible from your garage — consider buying storage containers to contain necessary tools and other objects you deem important to keep in the garage, so they won’t be cluttered around causing potential obstructions or tripping hazards.

Garage Safety Practices

Make sure to keep your garage door opener secured at all times and out of the reach of children who may want to open and shut the garage door like a toy. This is very dangerous, as they can get caught in the moving parts of the garage door or the garage door opener. Ensure that your automatic garage door’s safety sensors are working properly, and are still sensitive to small obstruction of two inches high or less — so you can make sure that the toes and fingers of your children can’t get hurt by getting caught inside.

Accidents That Can Happen at Home

You can take precautions to make these places safer, but the most important thing to remember is to watch young kids at all times. Even if your home is childproofed, it only takes an instant for babies and toddlers to fall, run over to a hot stove, or put the wrong thing in their mouths. Your watchfulness is your child’s best defense.

Original post here https://medium.com/@denaro.ashlee/garage-childproofing-acaee2076dbb.