Top 5 Safety Tips for Home Renovators |
Posted: June 13, 2018 |
However, these projects are far from easy. In fact, there are many safety precautions that you should keep in mind if you are planning a renovation project, which we will review below. Safe Handling of Toxic ChemicalsFor houses built in 1978 or earlier, there is a high chance that you will find asbestos or lead paint in the walls. These substances are deemed toxic, thus requiring careful handling. If you believe that you have asbestos in your home, try wetting the sample area with some water to prevent the poisonous fibres from spreading. You can send the sample to the lab for testing, but if it comes back positive, it’s best that you leave the asbestos removal process to professionals. Safety GearIf you’re removing walls, you can expect drywall or plaster dust. Avoid getting these irritants into your body system by wearing protective gears such as gloves, safety goggles, masks and even earmuffs when you are exposed to loud sounds. Lead paint does not do much damage when it’s dried on walls, but if you are breaking them down, inhaling the paint particles could cause severe health problems, which only highlights the importance of wearing safety gears during any construction works. Check Your LaddersMost works that need to be above eye-level are likely to require you to use ladders. Check the ladder’s locking system to sure that it is still structurally intact, and ensure that you follow the stated weight restrictions so that your ladder will not break during use and cause any injuries. Be sure to check the surroundings around your ladder as well by getting rid of any oily substances present on the steps or any clutters on the floor which might cause the ladder to be less stable. Rather than trying to reach further from the ladder’s levels, it’s better to move the ladder to the next location to prevent falling down the sides. Set Up Protective BarriersContain all your renovation waste within the working area only by sealing off other parts of the house with plastic sheets so that any dust residue or fumes will not spread to people near the worksite. Protective barriers also include scaffolding and safety rails (See Image, courtesy of Synergy Access and Scaffolding) to ensure the occupational safety requirements of those working on the site. Priorities should be set to sealing up the ventilation systems first before sealing off spaces under doors, especially if there are pregnant women and children around the house. Seek Quality Over QuantityUnless you are already working in the construction field with several years of experience, there’s always a high chance that you will take a wrong step somewhere in your works - drilling the wrong location and bursting a water pipe, as an example. Some of these disasters would end up costing you repair fees more than your incurring cost had you hired some professionals to perform the tasks for you. These costly mistakes could be avoided if you have consulted the experts to start with, so don’t hesitate too much to hire them just for the quality charges if you are not sure about your skills. Feature Image Pexels, CC0 License
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