Fun Facts! Avoiding Silly Injuries

As many as 87,000 hospital injuries every year are in some way related to DIY enthusiasts. The most common injuries involve knives, scalpels, grinders, saws etc. The kinds of tools you would expect as ‘dangerous’ come included as a warning in their packaging. But a surprising number of injuries also come from more ‘harmless’ materials such as paint and wood.

If you want to avoid an embarrassing trip to the hospital from a slip up, follow these useful tips to make sure your DIY job doesn’t end in a DIY disaster;

Wear Goggles!
People tend to forget that unlike the rest of our body, which has several layers of skin protecting it, our eyes are incredibly vulnerable and easily irritable. Wearing goggles or a full mask can help avoid awkward injuries such as woodchips in the eye, paint dripping into the eyes from ceiling jobs, flecks of stone  in the eye from chiselling, and can in fact, prevent a whole host of other tools and materials getting into your eyes. Sometimes it is better just to go whole hog with safety equipment to reduce risk; gloves and hard hats are also essential accessories depending on the type of home improvement you are conducting.

Rest often and don’t rush
It is very tempting to rush a job when you have a deadline or an impatient partner, but the trick is to take it slow and steady. The more thought you put into your job, the least likely you are to make stupid mistakes.  DIY’ers are also prone to working long hours in order to just get the job done as soon as possible, and this can lead to fatigue. Tiredness dulls the senses and can lead to more mistakes, so if you’re feeling a little strained, take a short rest away from what you are doing, or leave it to come back to another day.

Work at the same time every day
If it is not just a ‘quick fix’ job, and has to be done over several days, make sure to work at the same time each day. You will get into a comfortable routine, and you are less likely to make mistakes when you have a familiar routine. Furthermore, if you are used to working mornings, and take on a night DIY job, the differing light levels could affect your vision and concentration, leading to more mistakes and possible accidents.

If you are unsure, play it safe
It can be extremely hard to admit when you need a helping hand, especially if you seem to have had everything under control up to a certain point. But some things are mainly left up to the professionals, and if you do not heed their advice you could end up doing irreparable damage. If you are really unsure or are doubtful of your skill in certain areas - particularly niche areas such as electricity maintenance and wiring – it is much better to call a technician and get a professional opinion on the job.

About the author:

Kelly Rowntree is a DIY fanatic who has contributed this post on behalf of the Stone Tile Emporium, the online store for high quality stone tiles of all varieties including travertine, slate and granite