Whether you are a professional construction worker or a DIY enthusiast, home improvement accidents happen. To combat at least the most typical injuries, take a look at what the four most common injuries are, and what you can do to avoid the pitfalls of running into them yourself.
Falling of off Ladders – Don’t Do It!
The most common home improvement accident is falling off of a ladder. Any time you have to give yourself some extra height to do a job, it’s important to think and act safely about it. First of all, don’t use a broken ladder! If it’s old, rusty, rotted, missing parts, not level, or too long or too short for the job at hand, then pass on the activity until you get that figured out. Good ladders can be expensive, but it’s far more expensive having to worry about disability insurance after you take a dive from the top of a rickety 20-footer with a can of paint in your hand. In addition to having the right equipment, having a spotter around is also a requirement for safe work. It could be a coworker, your teenage son, or a spouse, but get someone there to hold on tight.
Mowing Your Lawn – Relaxing and Deadly!
Mowing the lawn can be seen as both common and relaxing, which leads some people to downplay the safety concerns of flying debris and spinning razor sharp blades. Injury statistics put 70,000 people per year in the category of ‘injured by lawnmowers,’ so don’t add your own name to this list. By simply making sure your lawnmower is in good working order, and walking through your lawn mowing area quickly before you get started to make sure there are no obstructions, you’ll be vastly improving your chances of leaving your cutting experience with a beautiful landscape and no scars.
Power Tools and Chainsaws – Convenient and Life Threatening!
Any tool that is powered by electricity or gas has the ability to turn your soft human parts into slices. Always have the appropriate safety gear on – hats, glasses, gloves, boots – whatever is recommended or required. Many times, injuries occur because instruction manuals have not been read, or proper maintenance has not been done. Accidents do happen under normal circumstances, yes, but far more accidents happen when rules are not followed especially when it comes to tools that are sharp, hot, spikey, or have fast-moving blades. Power tools can drastically improve the efficiency and power of your home improvement projects, but they also have the potential for serious, even life-threatening injury. If you aren’t sure how to use a piece of equipment, then don’t! There are plenty of resources these days online to check out basic information about power tools if you’re not sure how to start using them.
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