Automatic garage doors are one of the largest moving mechanical objects in any American home — and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that garage door entrapment has killed and seriously injured both children and adults when the door’s auto-reverse safety feature failed. Since 1993, all residential garage door openers are required to have an auto-reverse feature. But the feature can fail — due to sensor misalignment, dirt accumulation, wear, or mechanical failure — without giving the owner any warning that the safety system is no longer working.
How the Auto-Reverse System Works and How It Fails
Modern garage door openers use two safety systems. The first is an entrapment protection system, which requires the door to reverse if it contacts an object or person while closing. The second is a photoelectric sensor — two infrared eyes mounted near the floor on either side of the door that detect any object breaking the beam and automatically reverse the door.
Both systems can fail silently. Sensors can become misaligned so the beam no longer crosses the doorway correctly. Dirt, ice, and spider webs can accumulate on sensor eyes and block the beam. The mechanical reversal sensitivity can drift out of specification over time. A door with a failed safety system looks and operates identically to a door with a working one — until it closes on a child, pet, or person.
The 30-Second Test You Must Do Monthly
CPSC recommends testing the auto-reverse feature monthly using a simple procedure. Place a 2×4 piece of lumber flat on the floor in the center of the garage door opening. Press the button to close the door. The door should automatically reverse within two seconds of contacting the board. If it does not reverse, the system is not functioning correctly and must be repaired before the door is used again.
Additional Safety Rules
- Never allow children to play with or near the garage door opener controls.
- Keep the wall control button high enough that young children cannot reach it.
- Never allow children to run through a closing garage door.
- If your garage door opener was manufactured before 1993, it may not have a mandatory auto-reverse feature — contact a garage door professional about upgrading.
- Inspect and clean photoelectric sensor eyes monthly.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
Source: https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/Garage-Door-Openers
