When you think about DIY, two things probably come to mind (other than the various jobs around the home that are still waiting to be done). The first is Bank Holidays, since we all tend to get stuck into DIY jobs around that time. And the second is unintentional injuries.
We’ve all made errors when it comes to ‘doing it ourselves’. We’ve hit our thumb with the hammer instead of the nail; we’ve cut our finger or hand on a sharp tile as we’re cutting it; and perhaps we have even dropped a brick on our foot as we attempt to build that low wall in the back garden. Whatever the incident may have been, we can all look back and think of a time when we tried to use a tool of some kind and the tool ended up winning.
But while it can sometimes be amusing to look back on such incidents, they can also be extremely dangerous and result in some nasty injuries. The odd shallow cut or graze is one thing, but when a DIY injury results in broken bones or worse, there is clearly the need to take care whatever we might be planning to do. DIY can indeed be very dangerous if we don’t take due care and attention.
For example, many DIY jobs involve using a ladder. Painting the front room might seem like quite a safe job. No electrical tools required – just a paint brush, a roller and the paint of your choice. But you also need a ladder if you want to reach the ceiling, and that is where the accidents start to happen.
Never be too lazy to move it into the best position, and always make sure it is safe to use and locked into its correct position before you begin. A fall from a ladder could result in nasty injuries that can take a while to recover from.
No matter what you might be doing in the way of DIY, be sure you are always prepared. Ask yourself if you know how to use the equipment you will need to complete the job successfully. And even more importantly, do you have the right equipment in the first place?
Preparation is essential if you want to avoid having an accident. Don’t try to save time or do things in anything other than the right way. Cutting corners raises the risk of having the accident you want to avoid.