Home renovation is always a fun thing to explore, especially if you have the budget and the idea in mind. However, regardless if you’re going do it yourself or if you’re going to seek the help of friends, it’s important to remember that just like any other place, the home can be dangerous for DIY if you’re not careful.
In fact, Occupational Safety and Health Administration numbers indicate that 21.1 percent, or 991, of the total 4,693 deaths that occurred in the workplace in 2016 have come from the construction industry. Leading causes of death include electrocution, being struck by an object, being caught in/between, and falls. Although this is talking about the construction industry, it means there may be just as many risks of accidents even in do it yourself scenarios. Here are a few tips on how to make your home safe during renovation:
- Organization matters. One of the most important aspects of renovation is to make sure you’re aware of your surroundings, and this matters the most when it comes to organizing everything from your plans to your tools. Make sure your working environment is tidy and organized so risks of tripping and falling are minimal, and that everything is in a location you can easily access without endangering yourself and others. Knowing what each tool is for and when to use it is essential to make sure everything is used to their optimal capacity.
- Don’t overestimate. When you do home renovation with or without assistance, make sure the tasks you do are tasks you either trained for or tasks you can handle. If you’re not comfortable doing a particular task, you may opt to hire a person to do that for you, and you should stick to tasks you can accomplish. This allows you to perform that task with efficiency without risking accidents with an unfamiliar tool.
- Keep yourself protected. While this is do it yourself, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should just be all suspenders and no safety tools. Try to prioritize making sure you have safety equipment first before embarking on a renovation, including helmets, goggles, boots, gloves, and masks. Make sure your tools are well maintained and sharpened, and that you’re well aware of how to conduct basic maintenance to ensure they’re working properly. Make sure you have a first aid kit as well, and that you know how to use it.
- Make sure everyone knows about the renovation. While chances are all residents in the house will notice the people working on a particular area at home, make sure everyone is aware of what the renovation is about. This allows you to brief everyone on which parts of the house to avoid, what to do in order to keep themselves safe, and how long they should expect the renovations to happen.
- Take note of risky materials. Things such as pumps, dust and fibers, electrical material, lead based paint, and hazardous chemicals require particularly specific measures to handle. Make sure you either have adequate training on handling them, or that you consult professionals as to how to handle these materials properly.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that home renovation can be quite the fun endeavor, especially when you know the result will be a home that looks better for the family. However, the risks you’ll have when you, or other people, start modifying your home are very much real. We hope the above tips would hopefully mitigate these concerns. If you’re curious about your legal options should these construction accidents happen, do feel free to communicate with a lawyer about your concerns.
