If you have a home workshop and you love DIY in your home you’ll be aware of some of the dangers of leaving kit around. There are many more dangers to consider especially if you are a pet owner or have children running free around the home. Here are seven top tips  for safety at home to help remind you of the dangers of home DIY and what to do to ensure everyone’s safety.

7 Tips to Make Your Home Projects Safe

Home improvement projects are a lot of fun for many weekend DIY enthusiasts. They allow you to save money, can be a lot of fun, or sometimes an absolute necessity. However, they can also be dangerous if precautions aren’t taken.

Most accidents happen at home, and they aren’t just limited to those working with electricity or chainsaws. If you’ve ever changed a bulb and unexpectedly leaned back on the ladder, you know that while tackling home projects, you need to take your safety as a priority. So before planning your next repairs check out the safety tips below to ensure your finish the task unscathed!

Safety at home – Here are your tips

1.   Don’t neglect your ladder

Working at height can cause harm, regardless of whether you need to climb to the height of two meters or need to reach your roof. When using a ladder, make sure that the surface on which it stands is flat and even. Then, while making a step on the first rung, ensure that your body weight is centered to not lean and never step on the two top rungs of your ladder.

Choose wisely between aluminium vs fiberglass ladder as they are both used in different situations. An aluminium ladder is dangerous to use around electricity. While a fiberglass ladder is not a heat ​inductor, making it resistant to electricity.

2.   Always have a first aid kit at hand

A really important tip for safety at home is to keep a first aid kit at hand. Even though it might seem like a cliché, it’s one of the most critical safety rules during tackling home improvement projects. Don’t neglect this rule even if you perform the most manageable tasks. When you’ve stabbed yourself in the hand with your screwdriver, you’ll be thankful the first aid kit is at hand.

3.   Protect your eyes and face

If you’re working with power tools or even a hammer, you need to pay extreme attention to your face to keep it safe from debris, harmful fumes, or dust. Don’t forget about the safety glasses, as a single sliver can cause significant damage to your eyesight. Ensure the protective eyewear is tight-fitting so that any unwanted particles can’t sneak through.

Also, don’t forget to wear a dust mask or respirator if you are tackling any remodelling DIY project or you’re exposed to harmful chemicals and toxins. This should be a safety at home 101 rule. Make sure you keep this protective gear at home and accessible.

4.   Organize your workspace thoroughly

Make sure that your children and pets don’t have access to your working space. It’s crucial to keep your work area clean and store the sharp tools in a place where children can’t reach them. Remember to unplug all your electric tools after use and secure all the sharp blades.

If you are using tools that could be potentially dangerous to others, inform the rest of your household before starting your DIY project so that they are kept safe and out of harm’s way.

5.   Sharpen your tools

The Abraham Lincoln quote, ‘Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe’ is particularly apt when it comes to keeping your tools sharp. A dull blade will not only make the task slower it could result in injury; the extra force needed can result in a bladed tool slipping. Surprising but true, Check your equipment and sharpen your tools for safety at home.

6.   Read and understand the manual

Even if you’ve spent years in the workshop, always follow the instructions when tackling home improvement projects. Your intuition might be great, but if you’re unsure how to operate any tool, always read the manual and follow the instructions for usage provided.

7.   Dress appropriately for home safety in the workshop

During home improvement tasks, accidents might happen even to the most experienced DIYers if they’re not appropriately dressed. You might not even notice that the bracelet you always wear on your left wrist can contribute to a severe accident.

Avoid any kind of jewelry and long sleeves while operating power tools. If you wear your hair long, remember one of the top safety rules: keep it out of your eyes while working with sharp objects. And never wear flip flops, regardless of the nature of the renovation!

The bottom line on safety at home

Follow those tips and make a checklist with all the safety rules. Start working only after you put a tick in the box with each of the rules to keep you safe and the people around you. Plan your project ahead and carry out a check of all your tools.

Take safety as a priority during your DIY home projects. Never neglect the dangers, big or small. Even if you’re a DIY veteran and think that nothing can surprise you in the workshop, remember that prevention is better than cure.

FURTHER READING FOR HOMEOWNERS & PETOWNERS

At Housesitmatch.com we like to offer useful and practical articles on topics for our readers. In this selection we offer you a number of suitable pieces from our own blog on renovating and decorating a home.

Dream home – How to build your own

New home features you didn’t know you would want

Ideas to help you establish a new home quickly

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities