Is Your Garage an Accident Waiting to Happen?

In a survey of more than 500 homeowners undertaken by the Home Safety Council (HSC), a nonprofit group in Washington, DC, and GarageTek, a garage organization and storage company, nearly a third of respondents had experienced a garage-related injury. Both have partnered again this year in sponsoring the 3rd Annual Garage Safety Week from August 7-13 to promote public awareness of safety issues in the garage and make America’s garages safer. “The good news is that most of these accidents could be avoided with some basic organization and by following some simple garage safety guidelines,” says Barry Izsak, author of Organize Your Garage in No Time (Que).

This book has quickly become the homeowner’s bible used to tackle this overwhelming home organization project and is loaded with tips to make the garage safe for the entire family. “An organized garage is a safer garage,” says Izsak. He reminds us that 75% of garage-related injuries are caused by falling objects or stepping on or stumbling over things on the garage floor. He advises to store heavier items on lower shelves, get as much off the garage floor as possible and to wipe up grease and other slippery spills quickly. Other safety tips in his book include:

· Store paints, toxic chemicals and pesticides in their original containers in a locked cabinet.

· Keep flammable items away from heat sources and work areas.

· Good lighting is important. Have multiple light sources using the maximum allowable wattage.

· Do not use power tools with frayed or tattered cords and unplug them when not in use.

· Wear goggles when using power tools and gloves when working with toxic substances.

· Never exceed the specified weight recommendations for shelving units and cabinetry.

· Never leave children unattended in a garage.

Barry Izsak, author of Organize Your Garage in No Time, is President of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of ARRANGING IT ALL in Austin, Texas. With more than 10 years of experience as a professional organizer, he is an articulate and well-known spokesperson for the professional organizing industry. www.ArrangingItAll.com

The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries. www.HomeSafetyCouncil.org

GarageTek (Syosset, NY) is one of the nation’s premier installed garage organization and storage systems. www.GarageTek.com