The dangers of DIY- know your safety precautions

The below blog update is a guest post from Kenny Muir of Westfarm Windows which highlights the dangers of DIY work and gives advice on how to prevent injuries. We thank Kenny for his post and infographic which is good timing just as the Easter DIY craze begins.

The dangers of DIY- know your safety precautions

DIY is great fun, not only does it allow you to unleash your creativity in your own home, but it also gives you a chance to save money on those home improvements too.

The only trouble with DIY, and it is often one thing that people forget, is that it can at times be dangerous, as the infographic below from Westfarm Windows shows. This is why it is vital that anyone who is going to be carrying out some form of DIY follows the correct safety precautions.

These vary from the simple, to those that relate to particular projects. To help you to stay safe, we have put together some of the most important safety precautions for you to take.

General precautions for any form of DIY
When carrying out DIY you will need to wear suitable clothing. This means that you should avoid loose fitting clothes, and never wear any jewellery that could pose a risk of getting caught.

The place that you are working in should be clean, well-organised and well-ventilated if you are working side. Especially if you are working with anything that is going to cause dust, or lets off any fumes.

You should always take your time and never rush through. Concentrate on the task that you have in hand and try not to get distracted with other things that are going on.

Just in case, you should have a well-stocked first aid kit nearby, and always try to have someone else around when you are undertaking any DIY project that could cause an injury.

Use the right safety equipment and tools
It is vital that you always wear the right safety gear when taking on any DIY project. This includes a dust mask, goggles and gloves. However, you may also need to cover your clothes with overalls to keep everything clean and tucked away.

If you are using tools for the DIY project then you will need to have all the right tools for the job, not only this but you will need to be familiar with the tools to. If they are electrical then you should always turn them off and unplug them when they are not in use. Drills in particular should always be off when changing the parts, and take care to remove the chuck key before you turn the drill back on.

Tools should always be kept in good working order. You may not know that sharp blades are actually safer than those that are blunt.

DIY, when carried out safely and with the right tools can be incredibly worthwhile. The satisfaction that you can feel after completing a project yourself is well worth the hard work that you will have put in.
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Just remember, when carrying out any type of DIY work, it is vital that you keep yourself safe and try to avoid any injury that you are at risk from. 

Westfarm Windows