Construction Safety And Do It Yourself Jobs

Due to the available information on the Internet nowadays, more people are performing do-it-yourself (DIY) jobs, and these include those that are associated with construction. Learning DIY jobs can work to your advantage. You can be more productive during your free time. You can fix some damages in the home that need immediate repair. You can save on costs of hiring a professional for simple jobs. You are able to learn some new skills. There are even step-by-step instructions to show the proper way of doing things.

While doing a number of home improvement jobs can be both helpful and fulfilling, there are risks involved. In fact, 30% of adults’ injuries involve those that happen in homes, and these include do-it-yourself tasks. These lead to more absences from work than work related injuries. So, it is best to undergo extra precautionary measures and improve the safety of do-it-yourself work. It would also be helpful to determine if particular jobs can be done by a person who does DIY jobs or if they need to be done by the experts.

Most Common Ways to Get Injured By DIY Jobs

• Slipping off the ladder while cleaning the gutter is one of the most common causes of injuries of wrists, ribs, and knees.
• Cutting the grass with a lawnmower can sometimes cause cuts to finger and legs.
• Grinding a piece of metal can allow fragments of this to get into the eyes.
• Using welding equipment can allow foreign bodies to enter into the eyes.
• Cutting wood with the help of a power saw can cause cuts to the hands and fingers.

Different Causes of DIY-Related Injuries and How to Prevent Them

1. Unsafe work practices

• Not wearing the proper equipment whenever needed
• Leaving large boxes in a place where someone can trip over.

Unsafe work practices can place the physical and mental health at risk. It can be avoided, though, by means of having the training, awareness, and good management.

2. Lack of protective equipment

• Protective eyewear should be worn in most construction related jobs. These should be comfortable and adjustable to fit the user. It should be resistant to scratches and fog. It can be worn with corrective glasses.
• To protect the hands during carpentry and painting jobs, you should wear gloves that have a comfortable fit.
• To make your steps more stable, you should wear non-slip footwear that have durable soles to resist nails.
• You should use gears to protect the ears from noisy equipment.

3. Using the wrong tools

Since some people do not have the proper training, they either use the wrong tools or use the right tools in the wrong way. This may result to injuries. To prevent this, it is best to read the manual of the tools very carefully or to get some kind of training.

4. Poorly designed products

When you get injured by a defective DIY product, you can consult a skilled lawyer to handle the issue.

Conclusion

There are different reasons to choose DIY jobs for home improvement. However, you have to determine if you can effectively do these without causing injury or damage to your property. There are some DIY jobs, which are simple to do, but there are some that is best left to the professionals.

Jason Kane is a former construction foreman and avid construction safety blogger. Jason is an expert when it comes to safety lanyards, body harnesses and other safety equipment.