Many homeowners enjoying tackling upgrades and improvement projects. Take pride in a job well done and make your home more comfortable and appealing by completing DIY projects. Plus, you’ll save money when you can handle a project on your own. Reduce the chance of injury when you follow these safety precautions for DIYers.
Protect Your Eyes
Depending on the project, you may be working with insulation, sawdust, spray paint, or household chemicals. Use safety glasses or goggles to protect your eyes. Foreign materials in your eye can lead to infections, scarring, and even blindness. Safety precautions for DIYers include using eyewear when you’re cleaning the gutters, applying fertilizer, trimming the grass, and woodworking.
Safety Precautions for DIYers: Use Good Lighting
When working on a project, make sure you have adequate lighting. Working in a dark room or poorly-lit workbench increases the risk of injury. Using good overhead lighting to brighten your workspace. If you have a job that cannot be moved to the workbench, like installing a new light fixture in the basement, use a headlamp to illuminate the area where you’re working.
Use a Mask
Protect your lungs by wearing a mask, especially for jobs that involve dust and chemicals. An N95 mask is a great safety precaution for jobs that expose you to dust, sawdust, or larger particulate matter. Choose this type of mask for woodworking, hanging drywall, or sanding walls before painting. If you’ll be exposed to paints, chemicals, or other compounds that are applied with a sprayer, choose a half-face respirator with a chemical cartridge. More serious projects like mold or lead-paint removal are best left to professionals, but if you must tackle this job, choose a full-face respirator with a P100 filter.
Safety Precautions for DIYers Include Staying Alert
No matter the nature of the project, if you’re physically tired or mentally exhausted, you’ll be less aware and more prone to mistakes and injury. Give yourself plenty of time to handle your DIY projects, without feeling like you need to rush. The dripping faucet, a second coat of paint on the bookcase, or repairing the back porch railing can wait one more day if you aren’t feeling up to it. When you have a project that is urgent, hire a professional if you don’t have the time or energy to safely complete the work.
Border Home and Property Inspections offers home inspections to customers in the midwest region of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Contact us to request our services.