There probably aren't a lot of WWII / Korean vets around who can attest to the Garand safety, but I haven't read about
that as a problem the Garand had.
And, since Ruger's Mini-14 copied a lot of the Garand / M14 design, including the safety, I haven't read about that rifle having a problem with its safety, either.
As already said, you push the safety
away from the trigger to disengage. It takes a little effort to do with the back of your index finger, but it can be done readily enough if you want the safety off. I think it might have been made relatively difficult to move on purpose...
As far as pulling the safety toward the trigger to engage, you can use your entire hand, sliding it down the rifle, if you are concerned about a finger slipping off the front edge of the trigger guard. Nothing gets near the trigger using this technique.
And, check the front edge of the trigger guard by "feel" to see if you can feel the safety. No sharp edge - nothing but smooth guard? Safety's on. Don't check
inside the trigger guard. (Rule 3
)