CLIPPINGS
Garage Doors and Openers in the Media

Door Company Fined $80,000 for Installer Accident

Source: Canada News Wire, 01/05/2005
Article: (Company) Fined for Health and Safety Violation
Author: Not stated

This Jan. 2005 story reports that a Mississauga, Ontario, garage door dealer was fined $80,000 for an accident that caused serious head injuries to an installer employee. The court ruled that the dealer violated Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The incident reportedly occurred in April 2002 when a steel winding bar, under tension, struck the installer on the head. At the time, two door technicians were repairing a garage door. It was the injured worker’s second day on the job, and he was not wearing a hard hat. His co-worker had been employed for about nine days.

An investigation determined that the dealer had not provided adequate training or supervision. The dealer pleaded guilty.

Editor’s Note: Would you also be forced to plead guilty?

“Software Radios” to Control GDOs?

Source: Sci-Tech Today, 12/06/2004
Article: One Box Fits All Software Radios
Author: Mike Martin

The next wave of revolutionary technology may involve radio waves. A proposed “software radio” device would control a wide variety of radio-controlled gadgets, such as televisions, radios, walkie-talkies, and, yes, garage door openers.

Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Mobile and Portable Radio Research Group have already written software that could lead to such a device. In this one-box-fits-all concept, “Radios would become more like computers, whose function fluctuates with whatever software is running at the time.”

The research team has already made such a tool available on the Virginia Tech Web site. The software program, called OSSIE, was first developed as a research project for the CIA.

Editor’s Note: Hmm. Such a product may be years away, but could it eat into the market for garage door opener remote controls?

$2 Million Settlement in Garage Door Injury

Source: Ann Arbor (Mich.) News, 12/24/2004
Article: Settlement Reached in Mykolaitis Case
Author: Not stated

A Michigan court approved a $2.27 million settlement for Elizabeth Mykolaitis, a 4-year-old girl who suffered brain damage when she was trapped by a garage door in 2003.

The story says the girl’s family sued their rental home’s landlords “because the garage door did not have sensors and (because) a small child was able to reach the garage door button.”

Elizabeth will receive a trust fund of more than $900,000 and future payments, while $219,000 was awarded to her mother.

Editor’s Note: Nobody wins in these tragic accidents. Are you doing all you can to prevent them?

Village Lifts Limitations on Garages

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 02/05/2005
Article: Sturtevant Loosens Rule on Garage Size
Author: Heather Asiyanbi

The village board of Sturtevant, Wis., has changed from an anti- to a pro-garage-door policy. This article says the board increased maximum garage sizes from 672 to 900 sq. ft. The new ordinance also allows greater flexibility on where the garage door can face.

Reporter Asiyanbi says the board was influenced by a trend to three-car garages in new homes. The board president was quoted: “Today’s new home buyer expects more space everywhere, including the garage.” He also said the change allows Sturtevant to be competitive with neighboring communities where such restrictions don’t exist.

Editor’s Note: Do you live in a pro-garage-door community? If necessary, are you prepared to argue your case?

“Garage Shopping” Raises Security Issue

Source: Munster (Ind.) Times, 02/15/2005
Article: ‘Garage Shopping’ Latest Teen Craze
Author: Ken Kosky

This article begins, “Teenagers have found a new way to get all the free beer and liquor they want. It’s called ‘garage shopping,’ the teens’ term for going around and stealing from people’s garages.”

Teens have apparently learned that many people (1) leave their garage doors open, and (2) keep garage refrigerators full of beer.

One arrested teen reportedly said that garage shopping has been happening a lot lately. Local police are warning homeowners to lock their garage doors and keep their remote controls locked up.

Editor’s Note: Inform your customers of these trends. It appears that more people need wireless keypads and open-garage-door monitors.