Garage Safety: Falling Items

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in the home. More 540,000 slip-fall injuries requiring hospital care occur in North America each year. Thousands of additional injuries occur due to items falling from shelves, hooks and cabinets. Check your garage to make certain that item is stored securely.

These six tips should help:

1. Relocate heavy and sharp objects, such as tires and gardening tools are propped against walls.
2. Store ladders horizontally. This prevents tipping and discourages children from climbing them.
3. Anchor tall shelving units to the wall.
4. Store tools, gardening supplies and automotive parts on shelves.
5. Avoid overloading shelves. If in doubt, add shelves. (Even better: dispose of what you don’t need.)
6. Position lightweight items on higher shelves and position heavy items on shelves closet to the ground.