Necessary Safety Considerations When Working on Home Improvements

Any construction work you carry out in your home is no less dangerous than working on a proper construction site. There are numerous dangers lurking from every nook and cranny but homeowners get lenient because they think nothing bad can happen to them inside their own home. 

And this is how most home improvement accidents occur, as a single second is enough to lose a toe or get electrocuted!

That is why staying focused is of great importance, as well as being aware of all the dangers that are hidden inside the home, depending on the type of work you are doing. Once you know what you need protection against, be sure to consider the necessary safety gear that you can implement and wear to stay safe at all times.

Here are several considerations regarding home improvement safety to get you started:

#1 – The right garment

Carrying out those repairs wearing clothes you would normally wear is somewhat foolish.

Firstly, you are going to destroy your favorite T-shirt once a single drop of paint lands on it, and secondly, everyday clothes offer little, if any protection against heavy objects and toxic materials.

Your clothing has to be sturdy and made from materials that will prevent injury.

When working with power tools, you are going to need to wear protective glasses so you don’t go blind from the sparks flying all around the place. Also, if you are repairing the roof, the danger is going to come from above so be sure to put on a hard hat.

Finally, working with glass requires you to wear gloves, so you don’t cut yourself since injuries caused by glass can be life-threatening.

#2 – Securing the ladder

Most people become more alert when they are working at height, like repairing the roof. However, simpler tasks, such as cleaning the gutters, are considered trivial and the safety precautions are not taken.

A common mistake that can result in serious injury is not securing the ladder well-enough. The base of the ladder has to be placed on a firm and flat surface! If the surface has even a slight incline, then one wrong move could topple you down.

Also, try not to lean too far out. Instead just climb back down and reposition the ladder.

#3 – The right footwear

We already mentioned the importance of work clothes but the footwear is perhaps even more important.

You are in constant danger of stepping onto a nail and injuring your foot, so the sole has to be made from durable rubber. Also, the shoes you wear must be slip-resistant as all kinds of spills can make you lose your footing and send you flying into the air.

Did you know that most common accidents involving your feet are falling heavy objects that can hurt your toes or even break your foot?

That is why steel cap boots are really something that you should be wearing while installing any home improvement.

Never again will you experience the excruciating pain of hitting your pinky on something.

#4 – Don’t experiment

Working on home improvements is very diverse: a home improvement is considered something as simple as making a hole for the nail to hang a picture on the wall, all the way to something as intricate as changing all the roof tiles.

You know your abilities best, so never try to bite more than you can chew. Yes, you can probably save money on having to pay for your new plasma TV being mounted onto the wall, but there is other work that is far too complicated and dangerous.

For instance, replacing gas pipes should be carried out by a professional, as well as any work involving electricity. Of course, you can replace a switch or an outlet, but nothing more intricate than that.

Knowing what you can or can’t do could very well save your life, so don’t be too self-confident.

#5 – Work in phases and tidy up

Any large-scale home improvement that requires more than one free afternoon to complete should be done in phases. This is where careful planning becomes important as you have to time your work. Also, take into consideration the time of the year and the weather outside, as little can be done during a snowstorm or hail.

The final piece of advice when it comes to home improvement safety is being tidy. You have to clean all the debris after each phase, so you don’t endanger your life as well the lives of other members of the family.

Be sure to store away all the sharp and dangerous objects and machines. Just imagine what would happen if your child found a power tool on the table still plugged in and decided to play with it! In order to avoid such scenarios, always tidy up.

Once you take all the safety precautions listed above, you are ready to start working on the desired home improvement. These safety considerations are here to make the work truly enjoyable as it is meant to be.

About the author: Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home, design and lifestyle. He has a B.Sc. in Interior Design and is an avid reader. You can reach out to him on Twitter or LinkedIn.