As a nurse in the emergency room at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Teresa Smith has seen numerous do-it-your-selfers hobble in through the doors.
Some stepped on nails, others fell off ladders and still others sliced their hands with power tools.
In fact, the number of home improvers who enter the ER is alarming, says Smith, also the injury prevention coordinator for the Loyola University Shock-Trauma Institute.
“Home improvement is dangerous work,” she says. “And a lot of home improvers are novices at what they do. That leads to a lot of accidents and injuries.”
Those accidents and injuries can, for the most part, be avoided with a little planning, due caution and a few safeguards, Smith and other safety experts say.
“There’s no reason that anyone should injure themselves on the job,” says Nathan Kleefisch, a home improvement instructor and coordinator of the construction degree at South Suburban College in South Holland. “But it happens and happens too often.”
With the home-improvement season in full swing, we’ve asked the experts to identify the most common causes of do-it-yourselfer accidents and how to prevent them.
Why and how
Many accidents occur because do-it-yourselfers become distracted, Kleefisch says.
“People are always rushing to get things done today,” he says. “Make sure you’re not rushed for time when you start a project. And don’t start a project when you’re tired. That’s just going to increase the risk of injury.”
Also, while having a beer may make a painting job more tolerable, avoid alcohol when conducting home improvement projects. “Fifty percent of all household injuries are alcohol-related,” Smith says. “Alcohol decreases your ability to pay attention.”
Getting the children out of the house during a project is also a good idea, Kleefisch says. “Kids cannot only be distractive but they can get hurt, especially when tools are lying around plugged-in,” he says.
While you want the children out, have another adult around the house while you do home improvements, Smith advises, in case an accident does occur.
Protective gear
Many mishaps occur because do-it-yourselfers refuse to wear protective gear.
“One of the typical injuries we see is people getting sawdust or other debris in their eyes,” Smith says. “That’s potentially very dangerous because you can lose your sight. We also see a lot of people who step on nails.”
Both of those injuries can be easily avoided, Smith says, by wearing safety goggles and protective, thick-soled shoes.
“I would wear goggles while I mow the lawn; they are essential,” she says. “People who wear glasses can get goggles that fit over glasses or prescription goggles.”
Protective shoes should not only have thick soles but should protect the ankle as well to prevent twists, Kleefisch says.
Also important are thick gloves with a leather palm piece for gripping, he says.
And don’t wear shirts with loose sleeves that can get caught in power tools, Smith adds.
Finally, when working with dust and debris, wear a respirator fitted with the proper vapor cartridge, and clothing that covers most of your body, the experts say.
Ladder mishaps
One of the biggest causes of injuries is ladders, Smith says. “I’ve seen people who have suffered fractures on the feet and heels, the spine, the shoulder, the ribs and arms from falling off a ladder just a short distance,” she says.
To use a ladder safely, never stand on the top two rungs, Smith warns. Make sure stepladders are open fully and are on secure ground. “When working with an extension ladder, I recommend that you have someone hold the bottom of the ladder to prevent wobbling and sliding while you’re up on the ladder,” she says.
“Also, never overextend your reach on a ladder,” says Mal Graifman, program director for the Professional Remodelers Association. “If you can’t reach a spot, get down and move the ladder; don’t stretch.”
Finally, never use a substitute for a ladder, such as a table or a chair, adds Graifman of the Elk Grove Village firm Professional Home Improvement Inc.
Power tools
Power tools are another common cause of injuries.
“The problem is that most do-it-yourselfers are inexperienced with power tools,” says Smith. “As a result, they don’t know how to use the tools properly. But they can inflict injuries upon themselves that take months to heal.”
One of the worst home-improvement mishaps Smith has encountered involved a man who amputated his foot with a power saw. “He dropped the saw and it didn’t shut off,” Smith says.
Especially dangerous are nail guns and staple guns, she adds. “There’s a lot of power behind these tools. We’ve seen a lot of people in the emergency room with nails through the hands and feet. Those are not life-threatening injuries, but they’re limb-threatening injuries.
“We even had a guy come in once with a nail that went into his chest and punctured his lung,” Smith adds. “We didn’t know how that happened and neither did he.”
To avoid power-tool accidents, use only equipment you’re familiar with, Kleefisch advises. “If you don’t know how to use the tool, get someone who does,” he says. “And don’t forget that many power tools keep spinning even after you take your finger off the trigger.”
Or, use a hand tool, such as a hand saw, instead of a power saw you’re not familiar with, Smith says. “It may take you longer to get the job done but there will be a much lower risk of an accident occurring,” she says.
Finally, never improvise with power tools, removing guards or safety measures. “You greatly increase your risk of injury,” Smith says.
Lacerations are another typical injury faced by home improvers. “I’ve seen lots and lots of lacerations from carpet knives and razor knives,” Smith says. “They result because people are usually not paying attention to what they’re doing or they’re not holding something securely.”
Use clamps when possible so that your hand is not in contact with the object you’re cutting. And use guides to help keep cuts straight.
Even a screwdriver can cause a severe injury, says Smith. “A screwdriver can slip while you’re holding the screw and you put a nasty gouge into your hand,” she says.
Extension cords
The seemingly innocuous extension cord is another cause of many home-improvement mishaps.
Always make sure to use a heavy-duty extension cord to power a tool. If you’re working outside, make sure the cord is made for outdoor use. Always use a long-enough cord and never connect three or more cords together.
“To run a large power tool, I’ve seen people hook together several small indoor extension cords, the kind they use to power Christmas tree lights,” Graifman says. “That can result in a fire hazard. The cords will overheat.”
Graifman says he recently came across an extension cord problem. “I was trying to change the lighting on a hutch I was working on and I put the wrong wires together,” he says. “Within a matter of a few seconds there was a spark, and an entire 12-foot long extension cord melted and started a carpet on fire. I quickly unplugged the cord but the rug was ruined.”
To avoid electrical shocks, plug the cord into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet, especially when working outside (see below).
Use only a three-prong extension cord and plug it into a three-prong outlet. “Don’t use an adaptor to plug a three-prong tool into a two-prong extension cord, or a three-prong cord into a two-prong outlet,” Kleefisch says.
The ground is important because it provides unused current a pathway-usually a water pipe that goes into the ground-where it can do no damage.
Also, be careful that cords don’t get tangled, especially when working on ladders. A good remedy is a cordless tool, Smith says. “The lack of a cord is one less thing to worry about,” she says. “Cords can be especially dangerous on ladders.”
Electrical supplies
Power tools should always be plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet, usually found around kitchen and bathroom sinks.
GFCIs monitor the current traveling in the two electrical wires that power a tool or device. If the current becomes imbalanced, the GFCI shuts off the power in a fraction of a second. “If water gets into a tool it could short it out and the electricity will seek the path of least resistance,” Kleefisch says. “This could be your body. And standing in water could make such a shock fatal. A GFCI trips the circuit so quickly that you wouldn’t even perceive a shock.”
A few final tips
Always have a fire extinguisher on hand for home improvement projects. And never be more than a few feet away from a phone (for outside projects, take along a cordless phone).
Take caution with toxic and flammable products. Always work with plenty of ventilation and never work with a flammable product around an open flame. Even the pilot light on a water heater can ignite a blaze.
