2005 American Garage Safety Survey Newsworthy Findings

The garage serves as a multi-purpose room for many families, and can potentially present risks for many common home-related injuries including falls, poisons or fires. Together with the Home Safety Council, GarageTek conducted a national survey of Americans about their garages to reveal the nation’s perceptions of safety hazards within this room of the home. The survey also identified top garage-related injuries and items commonly stored in the garage that can present injury risks. Key findings from the survey include:

Potentially Dangerous Items in Almost Every Garage
Many families utilize the garage for storage, and quite frequently store potentially dangerous items that must be handled with care and properly stored to avoid possible injury. In fact, 94 percent of respondents report that at least one potentially dangerous item is stored in the garage. Common items include:

• Tools or sharp objects (82 percent)
• Lawn care products (64 percent)
• Automotive fluids (60 percent)
• Paint, paint thinner (51 percent)
• Cleaning products (50 percent)
• Gasoline/propane (42 percent)

Lack of Awareness of Dangers
Nearly 60 percent of Americans report being unconcerned about safety hazards within their garages, and the public’s passive attitude towards garage safety could be leading to serious injuries. Nearly one out of three respondents said an injury has occurred within their garages.

While most Americans report they are not concerned with garage safety, many recognize that potential garage-related dangers exist. Slips and falls are the most common safety concern (24 percent), which Home Safety Council research shows is the leading cause of home injury and related death in and around the home. Overall safety worries include:

• Slipping and falling (24 percent)
• Stepping on objects left on the floor (23 percent)
• Falling objects (13 percent)
• Fire (12 percent)

Garage Disorganization Causes Injuries
More than 75 percent of all reported garage-related injuries resulted from either slipping and falling or stepping on an object left on the garage floor. Both hazards could be easily avoided by maintaining an organized garage with adequate lighting, but many Americans are not taking these important safety precautions. The majority of survey respondents (60 percent) say they are dissatisfied with their garages’ organization, and about one out of three American garages does not have sufficient lighting.

Methodology
The survey included 502 Americans with access to residential garages and was administered by telephone between April 27th and May 2nd, 2005. The data collection was performed by TNS Express, a division of Taylor Nelson Sofres, an international marketing research firm. This analysis was conducted by ADM Marketing Research & Consulting.

Free tip sheet available at www.garagesafety.info.
For more info on the Home Safety Council and GarageTek call: Barbara Butensky 516-621-4300

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