DIY Safety

The last thing your DIY project needs is a delay due to you being injured. Here are a few safety tips from personal experience and other DIY resources:

  • Wear Goggles: Let the pride go for a moment and protect your eyes – they are priceless
  • Ladders Are For Feet: Don’t put any tools or other objects on top of your ladder, vibrations are common during projects and those tools could fall on your head, wear a tool belt instead
  • Don’t Wear Baggy Clothes: Tight-fitting clothes are less likely to get caught up in the power tools you are working with, especially saws.
  • Lift Right: No matter what age you are it is important to pick up an object in the correct way
  • Pressure Washers Are Dangerously Powerful: Respect a pressure washer like you would respect a gun, if you pressurize cut yourself with the washer, bacteria can get pushed deep under your skin and become infectious, and you will have a scar.  
  • Avoid Bump Mode: Set your nail guns to the sequential-fire mode rather than bump mode so you don’t risk nailing your foot, hand, etc.
  • Always Check Wires: Rather than assuming the electricity is off, double check with a non-contact voltage tester instead of your fingers
  • Clamp It: Take the extra minute to clamp down anything you are working on, especially drilling metal which could get caught by the drill, twist, spin, and cut you
  • Lumber Down: Don’t leave any boards sticking out at head level, take the time to put them on the ground or in storage once you get them home
  • No Drill Close-Ups: Even small drills have a lot of torque and if they hit something unexpected they can swing around quickly, so keep your face away from drills
  • Saws Over Limbs: When you have something that you need to break down into smaller pieces use a saw, don’t try to break it with your foot or arm, the pieces could bounce back and stab or smack you
  • Sawdust is Slippery: Be sure to take breaks and sweep away sawdust as you work on projects, especially if you are on a slanted surface like a roof