Garage Door Spring Deaths

Torsion springs extension springs and other garage door hardware can cause serious injury or death if not handled and installed properly.

Garage door spring deaths. Fatigue is the most common reason for garage door spring failure. Replacing garage door springs is dangerous because of the torque in a wound torsion spring or the stretch in an extended extension spring. This way you can avoid getting taken by surprise by issues like broken garage door springs that could cause the door to drop suddenly. On august 19 1994 a 32 year old lumber yardman died when a commercial garage door fell on him.

Do not attempt to install springs or hardware yourself unless you have the proper tools reasonable mechanical aptitude and experience and upper arm strength. Professional installation is recommended. Garage door repairs often involve replacing garage door parts that are tied into the spring system and many accidents injuries and deaths have occurred for those who have not understood the forces at work. Several deaths each year are reported by the u s.

If they don t make it across the door can pin them to the ground or crush them. Furthermore they lead to approximately 20 000 injuries annually not including those incidents that are not reported or treated in medical facilities. An error here can result in multiple broken bones in the hand or worse the spring snapping back with rapid force. To get injured by them you need to be up close and working on them.

Glass breakage is another cause of garage door accidents. Product consumer safety commission reports that the vast majority of these injuries are to fingers and hands. Consumer product safety commission from this behavior even from garage doors that do contain an automatic reverse feature. Garage doors have caused multiple deaths per year commonly to children.

Too many people try to perform diy garage spring replacements with a socket wrench or screwdriver when fixing broken garage door springs. The nebraska department of labor was notified by telephone on august 19 1994 by the local police department that responded to the incident scene. Now that garages use torsion springs people very rarely get injured. I ve been hurt working on them once.

In the latter case that might mean disfigurement severe injury or even death.