When you are fixing up your house or doing a few home improvements for an elderly friend or relative it is all too easy to forget about safety. It is only professional construction workers or people working on an organised project who automatically think about health and safety.
How many times do you pick up a power tool and use it without wearing safety goggles? If you are like most people, the answer is nearly always.
Most of us simply do not think about how dangerous home improvements can be, and, therefore, do not take any precautions. We would never drive even a short distance without a seatbelt, but think nothing of walking around a home work site with no safety helmet on.
The statistics
For the USA, the accident statistics are breathtaking. According to the Home Safety Council, every year, one in five home improvers end up having an accident that requires them to seek medical assistance.
Accidents with power tools accounted for a stunning 83,000+ admissions to emergency rooms in 2009 alone. With the statistics in mind, here are a few things you can do before tackling a home improvement project to keep you safer.
Make safety a priority
The first step is to recognise that home improvement tasks are potentially dangerous and that you need to plan accordingly. Just recognising this fact will help to change your mindset and get you thinking about safety while you are carrying out a task.
Buy and use good quality safety equipment
Always buy and use good quality, industrial standard safety equipment. It is not expensive. For example, you can buy safety helmets from Safetystock.co.uk for under £5, which is about $8. Many US firms will also supply homeowners with professional safety gear for a low price.
At a minimum, every person who does home improvements needs safety goggles, a hard hat and good quality protective gloves. If you are working with lubricants, glues or coatings you should also buy the necessary masks and respiratory equipment to protect your lungs.
Consider employing a professional
We all like to do things ourselves when we can but sometimes it just is too dangerous. Getting up onto your roof to repair the guttering or replace the shingles can be particularly dangerous. Falls from stalls and ladders account for nearly 250,000 emergency room admissions. Working at height can be particularly dangerous. For jobs like this or work that involves electrics, hiring a professional usually is the safest approach.
Think before you do a job
It is important to plan any home improvements you need to do. Buying the right materials and equipment is essential, but so is having the right safety equipment ready and available for use. If a professional would wear kneepads, safety goggles and a hard hat while doing the work you are planning to do you need to do the same.
Please follow these tips and educate yourself about staying safe to avoid unnecessary injuries, and carry on enjoying carrying out home improvements.
great post! very helpful!
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