8 safety tips for your home renovation
- magda
A home renovation can do wonders for the value of your home, your sense of happiness in owning it, and your own confidence in getting a job done well. That said, a home renovation can also lead you to a quick trip to the emergency department.
Safety should be your number one priority for any such job, so here are 8 safety tips to keep in mind.
1. Remove debris and materials in home renovation
The tidy-up is never as fun as the work itself, which is why work sites often end up with piles of used timbers, broken bricks, and other random pieces of debris.
These items only end up being a hazard as they can trip you up, topple over, catch wayward power cords and simply become a nuisance. Hire a skip bin and be vigilant about filling it.
2. Use gaffer tape (or similar)
If you have cords snaking all over the floors, tape them down to remove the high chance of someone tripping over them. There are a few ways to achieve this, but a simple strong tape that doesn’t leave a sticky residue on your floors after the job is done (such as gaffer’s tape) is a highly effective and easy one.
3. Use high-quality power tools
Be sure to check the quality and reliability of your power tools before starting home renovation work. You will want to ensure there are no breaks in the cord itself, that any blades or saws are running smoothly, and that there are no obvious signs of wear and tear.
A malfunctioning tool can at best slow you down, and at worst damage, your work area or become a hazard to people working with it.
4. Use PPE
It’s a simple one, but there’s a reason why a great tradie will never enter a worksite without his or her hardhat. These basic items such as gloves, dust masks, eye protection, and ear muffs can make all the difference. If the tools you are working with require extra, specific protection (such as a welder’s mask), be sure to use these as well.
5. Work with proper lighting
If you can’t really see what you’re doing, you can’t really be sure you’re doing it safely or effectively.
Many renovation work sites have poor lighting due to their nature of being in odd spaces or tight corners, so hire extra lighting if you need a clearer view.
6. Only use a tool for its purpose
One blade does not necessarily equal another. Most tools are designed to be efficient, effective, and safe, for a very particular function, so if you mean to cut corners and use them for something else, you could be putting yourself at risk.
7. Vacuum regularly
You may have a lot of dust circulating during a home renovation, and while this can irritate adults, it can be especially harmful to children – especially those with asthma.
Look for tools with built-in vacuum systems, and be sure to tidy up properly afterward as well.
