Overhead Door Safety

 Although overhead door systems are common, they are frequently overlooked as safety hazards, even in organizations with excellent safety programs. Overlooking overhead door hazards and routine maintenance could have catastrophic consequences. 

Overhead Door Hazards

The largest moving objects in many facilities, apart from vehicles, are overhead doors. They have sufficient weight and stored energy to injure people severely or fatally. Torsion springs or earlier vintage tension springs are a source of stored energy, particularly when the door is in the closed position.

 The weight of a typical residential garage door is approximately 150 pounds and capable of causing severe injury, amputation, or death. Commercial overhead doors present additional challenges and potentially more severe injuries than residential garage doors, due to their heavier weight and great variation in size based upon the application. 

There are two main types of industrial garage door injuries. While it is impossible to completely remove the potential for accidents, you can greatly reduce your risk of injury by inspecting and maintaining your overhead doors, being aware of your surroundings and following proper safety protocol.

Entrapment  

Entrapment occurs when an industrial garage door closes on top of a person or persons. This happens as a result not of mechanical error but of operator error. There are several ways to avoid entrapment injuries: 

• Do not stand or walk under an industrial garage door while it is in motion.
• Always raise industrial garage doors to the fully-open position.
• Always keep the industrial garage door in your line of vision while operating.
• Keep all industrial garage doors free from obstructions while operating.

Impact

Impact occurs in the rare event that an industrial door malfunctions and falls. This typically happens because a door has not been properly maintained. There are several ways to avoid impact-related injuries: 

• Whenever possible, avoid using an industrial garage door as an entrance or exit; use “personnel doors” to enter and exit the building.
• Never stand underneath an overhead door
• Have regularly scheduled maintenance performed on your industrial garage door as per manufacturer’s specifications
• Allow only trained professionals to install or repair your industrial garage door.

Overhead Door Safety

When overhead door accidents occur, they can often be attributed to one of the following 3 categories: inadequate installation/adjustment, lack of routine inspections, and inadequate preventive maintenance. All three attributes are required to prevent injury and ensure personnel safety. Over time, the following deficiencies could be identified on overhead doors: 

• spring tension can be improperly set or adjusted
• cables can become frayed and fail
• roller bearings can seize  
• poorly secured mounting pads can come loose
• tracks can become fouled with debris

All of these hazards can be mitigated by following best practices for overhead door safety. 

Standard #1 Maintenance Practices and Intervals

All door systems should be installed, inspected, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. This includes maintenance intervals, which can vary depending on daily usage and operating environment. If the manufacturer’s specifications are not available, then the preventive maintenance program should adhere to established industry standards/best practices [e.g., Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association].

Standard #2: Entrapment Devices

All motorized door systems should be equipped with entrapment devices to manufacturer’s specifications, such as photo-eyes or sensing edges. If there are door systems equipped with older devices not current with newer, improved safety standards, modernizing should be considered where reasonably practicable, for example, upgrading to monitored entrapment devices. 

Standard #3: Documentation & Reporting

Thorough secure documentation should be maintained that details: 

• Maintenance and service work performed.
• Documented inspections that identify problems or deficiencies found, preferably documented with notes or photographs, corrective action recommended, and corrective action taken. 
• Practices and standards used to inspect and maintain doors (e.g., manufacturer’s operating/maintenance manuals or similar documentation).