Having renovated many homes, we know from personal experience how easy it is to have an accident while renovating and I won’t mention the DIY mishaps that can occur. Each week the hospital casualty rooms have one or other DIYer that has hurt themselves while renovating. Mr Belle 1 alone has cut his hand with a chainsaw, had a lintel collapse on his head and had numerous cuts and bruises. And he is extremely careful. I too have tripped on tools, bruised myself on timber planks,fallen off a ladder and split paint. Fellow renovators have shot a nail through their hand, been electrocuted by accidentally cutting a power cord while installing termite matting and cut themselves with a saw – just to name a few. Fortunately we all survived these disasters. Here are some tips to help you to avoid accidents while renovating.
- Don’t do work without having the correct tools and equipment and always use the safety guards provided
- Don’t do work that is way beyond your capabilities
- Follow recommended safety procedures
- Use ladders specific to the job.hire one if you don’t have the style needed – i.e; for stairs or high ceilings as over reaching can cause a nasty accident
- Don’t do electrical work yourself, hire a professional
- Be mindful that older houses may contain dangerous materials such as lead paint, asbestos and arsenic. Its always wise to wear a face mask when doing demolition or sanding
- Try to stay focussed – it can be hard when you have children around , but multi tasking isn’t easy while renovating
Top Ten Tools that cause accidents
Knives
Saws
Grinders
Hammers
Chisels
Screwdrivers
Power drills
Axes
Planes
Welding equipment
Top Ten building Materials that cause accidents
Wood, chipboard
Paving/concrete blocks
Nails
Metal bars
Bricks
Paint and paint pots
Glue
Screws
Floor/wall tiles
Wallpaper