Just a few weeks ago, I headed down the garage steps, carrying a briefcase heavy with gardening books and lunch. Suddenly, my foot slipped and down I went. I managed to get myself up and to work. The non-stop pain, however, sent me to the doctor with two severely swollen, sprained ankles and a broken finger on my right hand.
Home accidents are among the leading causes of personal injuries. Many are relatively minor–a finger cut while chopping onions, a nail bruised from a runaway hammer, a muscle sore from digging too many planting holes.
But some are more serious: The National Safety Council says a disabling injury occurs in the home every five seconds in the United States.
Many injuries happen to the DIYers–the do-it-yourselfers who consider themselves able to leap tall buildings to clean out gutters. My grandfather thought he could still do it all after entering his 80s. He fell while cleaning gutters on his home and never was the same again.
Home is where the hazards live.
As Americans spend more time working on projects around the house, they are subject to more safety risks posed by seemingly simple tasks such as lawn work or house painting. More than 1 million people sustain eye injuries each year; 90 percent of those injuries could be prevented by using protective eyewear.
A survey conducted by MSA Safety Works of Pittsburgh, a major manufacturer of safety equipment, found most people avoid wearing safety equipment because it’s uncomfortable or they do not know how to use it.
More homeowners need to get comfortable with protective wear. Ear plugs or muffs can save your hearing while operating noisy tools. Dust masks can guard people with seasonal allergies against pollen and dust. Protective gloves can keep skin safe from gardening chemicals.
How can you improve your safety around the home? Here are some suggestions:
– Plan for your safety before starting a project. Know the hazards before you pull the trigger on that chain saw or climb that ladder to paint the trim work. Wear goggles and clothing to protect the skin. Wear a harness for high-up work. Work when someone else is at home and can come to your rescue if an accident happens.
– Wear protective eyewear. Standard prescription glasses and sunglasses can shatter if hit by flying debris. Wear goggles or glasses that can take hits and offer protection against chemical splashes.
– Keep work area clean to prevent slips, trips, falls and spills. Make sure extension cords are not where they can trip you. Clean up debris as the job progresses.
– Wear respiratory protection. Disposable dust masks with a single strap do not protect your lungs; they keep nontoxic dusts and pollen out of your system. More potent dusts and fumes require respirators with filters.
– Follow tool and chemical manufacturer’s directions for using products. Too many people believe if a little is good, more is better. That’s not true for gardening chemicals and it’s not true for other household products such as paints, solvents, paint thinners and pool chemicals. Read and follow application and use directions carefully. It saves you time and money and protects you and our environment.
– Protect your hearing. You can’t hear anyone talk to you while you run the circular saw. Wear ear protection so you can hear later.
– Guard your skin with gloves and clothing. Gardening chemicals and painting supplies are easy to spill and splash.
– Ventilate your work area. Open a window or garage door to get fresh air.
– Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Dress simply when operating power tools. Loose jewelry and long hair are quick to get entangled in tools. Tuck in loose clothing, wear a hat to keep hair out of harm’s way and leave jewelry for dressier times.
Weeks later my broken finger is healed and again flying across the computer keyboard. I still carry a heavy briefcase, but now I walk more slowly down my garage steps newly covered with non-slip treads.
For more information on project safety, visit the MSA Safety Works online site at www.msasafetyworks.com or call 888-MSA-HOW2 (672-4692).
