Commercial Garage Door Safety and Compliance
For business and building owners, keeping operations running safely and smoothly is critical. And guess what? Your commercial garage door plays a more significant role than you might think. So, let’s chat about what you need to know about safety and regulatory compliance for your commercial garage doors.
The Real Deal on Safety
We like to think of commercial garage doors as unsung heroes. They do the heavy lifting (literally), keep your goods secure, and sometimes even take a beating without complaint — all without calling in sick! And while we certainly enjoy the reliability of our garage doors, their safety is just as important (if not more so). Safe and compliant commercial garage doors help make sure your staff heads home safe every day and keep you protected from potential legal issues.
The Rules of the Game
Safety standards aren’t everyone’s favorite topic to read about, but it’s critical to understand them to keep your team, customers, and business protected. In addition to municipal codes and regulations, which vary by jurisdiction, there are three primary organizations that contribute to setting safety standards for commercial garage doors:
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration): A federal agency under the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA sets and enforces safety standards to ensure safe and healthful working conditions. For commercial garage doors, OSHA regulations cover aspects like maintenance, operation, and employee training to minimize workplace hazards.
- ANSI (American National Standards Institute): ANSI is a private, non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. It facilitates standards that ensure the safety, reliability, and efficiency of products and services, including commercial garage doors, enhancing consumer protection and international trade.
- DASMA (Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association): DASMA is the leading trade association for manufacturers of garage doors, rolling doors, high-performance doors, garage door openers, vehicular gate operators, and access control products. DASMA develops industry standards for safety and quality, promotes safety awareness, and provides industry insights on the safe installation, operation, and maintenance of these systems. All of the garage doors and sliding gate products we install are manufactured by DASMA members (C.H.I. and Clopay).
Essential Safety Features for Commercial Garage Doors
There’s no time like the present to evaluate your current commercial garage doors for safety. A few critical features to look for include:
- Automatic Reversal Systems: The system uses infrared sensors placed at the bottom of the door or along its path. These sensors emit a beam of light across the door’s threshold. If anything interrupts this beam (like a vehicle, equipment, or a person), the sensor detects the obstruction and reverses the door’s downward movement. Building codes usually require automatic reversal systems to comply with OSHA, ANSI, and DASMA standards.
- Emergency Release: An emergency release allows the door to be manually opened from the inside without power. This is crucial in situations where there’s a power outage, or the automatic opener fails, ensuring that people can exit the building or move goods in case of an emergency. The emergency release is typically a cord or a handle located inside the garage, near the door, which, when pulled or operated, disengages the door from the automatic opener system.
Maintenance for Commercial Garage Doors
Regular maintenance of commercial garage doors not only ensures safety and compliance with regulations, it also can prolong their lifespan. While specific requirements can vary based on local codes, manufacturer guidelines, and the specific usage of your doors, a comprehensive maintenance routine from a professional garage door technician typically includes the following:
- Visual Inspection: A thorough examination of all components of the garage door system, including springs, cables, rollers, pulleys, and mounting hardware, for signs of wear, damage, or corrosion. Particular attention should be paid to signs of undue stress or misalignment in the tracks.
- Lubrication: Regular lubrication of moving parts, such as rollers, hinges, and springs, to ensure smooth operation and prevent rust or corrosion. It’s essential to use a lubricant appropriate for the type of material (e.g., metal or nylon) and the specific requirements of the door manufacturer.
- Testing Safety Features: Testing safety mechanisms, such as the automatic reversal system and emergency release, to ensure they function correctly. This typically involves placing an obstruction in the door’s path to verify that it reverses upon contact and testing the emergency release to ensure the door can be opened manually if needed.
- Door Balance Test: Checking the balance of the door to ensure it opens and closes smoothly and stays in place when partially opened. An unbalanced door can strain the opener and pose a safety risk.
- Checking for Obstructions: Ensuring that the door’s path is clear of any debris or obstructions that could interfere with its operation or trigger safety mechanisms unnecessarily.
- Electrical System Check: For doors with automatic openers, the electrical system, including the opener mechanism, remote controls, and any safety sensors, must be checked to ensure there are no faults that could lead to unsafe conditions.
- Documentation and Record-Keeping: Maintaining a log of all inspections, maintenance activities, and repairs, including the dates they were performed and any parts replaced. This documentation can be crucial for demonstrating compliance with safety regulations and may be required for insurance purposes or in the event of an accident.
It’s important to take care of any needed garage door repairs right away for safety and compliance, and we recommend that you always turn to the professionals to work on your garage doors.
Choosing the Right Door
Choosing a commercial garage door isn’t about what looks pretty. It’s about what’s tough, practical, and smart for your business. And please, let the pros handle the installation. DIYing it is like trusting your buddy to fix your car’s brakes—just not worth the risk. Check out our guide to commercial garage doors for industrial applications for more information on choosing the right door for your needs.
So, What’s Next?
Are you curious about making an upgrade or just want to make sure your commercial garage doors are operating as they should? Reach out to us at O’Fallon Overhead Doors. We’re here to help you nail down the perfect solution that keeps your business safe, compliant, and ready for anything. Drop us a line for a free, no-strings-attached quote, and let’s make sure your doors are doing their part!
