If you love doing DIY projects at home, you know it's important to make sure that you are staying safe while enjoying the activities you're working on. Before you begin, it's important that you carry out an assessment and learn how to keep yourself and your family members safe while you are working in and around the house. Below you will find a few tips to stay safe and help you avoid injuries or accidents.
How To Stay Safe With DIY ProjectsLook Out For Toxic Materials
If you are going to be working on projects in an older house and you're concerned about toxic materials like lead paint or asbestos, it's best that you get a professional opinion before you begin the work. Toxic materials like asbestos can't be removed by the general layperson, and needs to be abated by a company licensed to do so. Speak with a structural engineer before planning any major structural changes on an older homes, or else you might be looking at a very pricey remediation.
Take Proper Precautions
Whenever you are working with chemicals, power tools or creating dust and debris, you should wear protective gear. Use protective eyewear, earplugs, work gloves, work boots and even a comfortable boilersuit with plenty of pockets for tools and other bits. If you are working in a potentially dangerous situation, such as climbing a ladder, make sure someone is with you to spot you. And if you need to work on higher elevations like roofs, you might be better off hiring a scaffolding company than risking it with a ladder.
Cover Your Property
You don’t want to damage your furniture when working in the house. Likewise, if you are using chemicals, they can soak into soft furnishings or carpet and release toxic fumes for years to come. Reduce the amount of pollution when completing DIY projects: Use drop cloths for floors; plastic covers and tarps for furniture and if the project warrants, consider making walls out of plastic sheeting (as well as covering doorways) to keep dust and debris contained to just the area in which you are working.
Watch Out For The Kiddos
There is nothing more dangerous than kids running around when there are scads of extension cords and power tools about. Make sure that your work area is a kid-free zone by arranging childcare before you start. You might want to carry out bigger projects or more hazardous work during school hours, while they're away on vacation or at summer camp, or perhaps even arrange a weekend at grandma's.
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