June is garage door safety month, and even though residential doorsafety is important, commercial garage doors are important as well. The majority of commercial building openings use rolling garage doors, which means they are generally bigger, heavier and take in much more traffic and use than a residential unit.
With all this use of commercial garage doors, the potential for injuries in these settings is much greater than that of any other location with garage doors. Trucks, forklifts, and other vehicles, commercial in nature, also increase safety concerns around the garage doors.
Primos Garage Doors is here to assist in ensuring the safety of the commercial facility, its assets and the people that work in and around the doors. Some of the most common injuries regarding commercial garage doors include concussions, fractures, bruises, lacerations, severed limbs, and pinched joints. In some cases, there are even more severe consequences, and Primos Garage Doors is here to certify and guarantee the safety of all commercial functioning garage doors .
Choosing Overhead Garage Doors
The first step to ensuring commercial garage door safety is proper installation and maintenance. Primos Garage Doors is just a phone call away and available 24/7 for repairs, maintenance, and overall safety for you and your business.
There are two common types of doors that commercial facilities choose from, sectional doors or overhead coiling doors.
Sectional doors are usually hinged together and move in tracks up and above the opening because sectional doors have to travel up and curve horizontally above the floor space. Sectional doors typically cost and weigh less, however, maintenance must be completed regularly.
- Maintenance includes properly and thoroughly lubricating the parts regularly, consistently scheduling checks to maintain care to not have any fraying cables, broken springs, or a variety of other part issues that can lead to door failure or possible free fall. The metal is less durable, which with constant exposure can lead to rust and corrosion, which are more prevalent in sectional garage door parts.
Overhead roll up doors coil up above the door opening around a drum in a compact area, as such they utilize heavier gauge steel, which is also more durable. Steel rolling doors take up less headroom and do not block or obstruct any ceiling equipment.
- Maintenance includes physical damage more from trucks, forklifts, or manmade items. With the stronger gauge steel there are smaller interlocking sections that make up the overhead coiling, which makes maintenance less due to the enclosed parts protected from outside damages.
Free Fall and Vehicle Damage Prevention
While the ease and grace of a motorized opening and closing mechanism sounds ideal, it may not be available due to the size, weight, and major chance of injury. A more popular option is a chain or hand crank to push up the door and keep it in optimal operation.
Chains can cause some damage to the door, and possibly the operator, but uses an easy flow manual system that allows the door to open and shut with minimal effort. A braking system is also an option for the chain to reduce injury when someone is not actively pulling on the chain, also to prevent the door from slamming down and incurring more damage. This will lead to longevity in your commercial garage door and an ease of use.
Forklifts can cause serious injury and a load of damage if not properly operated, and well accidents happen. Forklifts can weigh up to 9,000 pounds, steer differently than other vehicles and carry heavy loads. When a large load is in the front, most often the view is obstructed and leads to the main cause of forklift accidents and damage to garage doors.
A proactive way to prevent forklift accidents to your commercial garage door is to install a heavy-duty bottom bar on your rolling door. This bar will deflect the forces of the forklift and bounce back from ongoing use and wear. If a damaged door is not fixed or properly maintained it could be costly and attempting to use a damaged door can be extremely dangerous and cause possible injury to the user. The install of a heavy-duty bottom bar on your overhead garage door can prevent this, reduce repair costs, and pay for itself in longevity and use.
The other damage that forklifts cause to sectional doors is overhead collisions and not making clearance, which can lead to serious injury and damage to the garage door. Installing a rolling door protector at the top of the rolling door can help prevent copious costs and injuries. The door protector can eliminate headroom damage by creating a barrier that flexes and absorbs the force at impact. With more critical collisions the protector can be quickly replaced at a much lower cost.
Here to Keep You Safe
An inspection should be conducted to ensure all parts are working safely anytime damage is done to your commercial garage door. Primos Garage Doors is here to assist you in inspections, estimates, repairs, and regular maintenance, especially when a faulty door is present. Primos Garage Doors goal is to keep all service doors operating in top efficiency for your satisfaction.
To find out more about any garage door safety products or if you have a specific need, contact us today at (720) 621-7737.
