Tag Archives: ladder safety

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Hearing Protection

TOP TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE DOING DIY PROJECTS THIS WINTER (GUEST POST)

 

DIY-Safety-kid 

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/criminalintent

 

DIY is something that most of us will tackle at some point or another around the home. Yet, if not done carefully, it can result in accidents and injuries, and is one of the top reasons for a visit to hospital. With winter in full force, this time of year can pose further challenges for DIY enthusiasts, so read on for some top tips to stay DIY safe this winter. 

Always read instructions 

There’s always so much to do in the run up to special guests or holidays;  a growing to-do list, you might want to tackle those neglected DIY projects in time for the festive season. However, no matter what DIY job you tackle, always make sure you are fully prepared and equipped with the right tools for the job. Read instructions and understand what needs to be done. Accidents may well occur if you’re in a rush to get things checked off your list. 

Let there be light 

Natural light levels are low in wintertime, so make sure that you tackle any DIY tasks with sufficient extra lighting. If you can’t see what you’re doing properly, then you may end up banging a nail into your finger, instead of the wall! 

Be careful using ladders 

No matter what time of year you use ladders, it’s always important to be safe and careful when using them. In winter, using ladders outdoors can pose more of a compromise to safety, especially if your boots are muddy making the steps slippery. Don’t go up a ladder in windy weather, either. If there’s a problem that needs fixing, for instance with your roof, then call a professional out. 

Electrical awareness 

We’re prone to wetter and windier weather in winter, so if you need to do any DIY work in the garden involving the use of electrical items, make sure that you don’t operate them on a wet day. Electricity and water don’t mix, and could result in a nasty electric shock. 

Don’t mess with gas 

During winter we are reliant on our boilers to keep us warm and provide hot water. If your boiler conks out on the coldest day of the year, don’t be tempted to tamper around with it, in an effort to get it up and running again. Messing with gas can be very dangerous, especially for the amateur DIYer, so it’s always worth calling out a professional if your boiler does end up letting you down. 

Wear protective equipment 

Don’t cut corners with any DIY tasks by not protecting yourself. Make sure your eyes, ears, hands or feet are protected for the particular DIY tasks that you are undertaking. 

Lifting heavy objects 

Many people like to have a makeover or shift furniture around as the different seasons change.  If you need to lift, move or carry anything at home, make sure that you do it safely and don’t cause injury to your back in the process. Get help to carry items, if needs be. The last thing you’ll want is to spend your time laid up in bed with a back injury because you were too impatient to get your DIY tasks done, or didn’t ask for help. 

A lover of all things DIY, Justine writes for one of the UK’s leading online suppliers of high quality tools and machinery – Tool Orders UK.

 

General Safety Issues

LADDER SAFETY TIPS FOR PAINTERS (GUEST POST)

Painting or renovating a house requires experience as well as knowledge of some essential safety measures. There is always a risk of getting injured because one is required to work at odd heights or amidst other strange hazards, which is why people call professionals to take up such jobs.

Ladders are one of the basic tools that aid painters to reach ceilings or climb to higher reaches. Professional Auckland painters   do emphasize the importance of ladder safety during the painting process. While painting, there are various areas in a house where the work with ladder requires some basic safety tips.

Safety Tips for Exterior Painting – Always Avoid Distractions

The amount of risk involved in painting without proper safety measures increases massively especially when complicated with exterior house painting. Unlike interior house painting, painters need to maintain a proper balance while working, as the slightest of the mistakes can result in severe injuries. Therefore, painters should avoid distractions like cell phones, iPods or radios away while working.

Moreover, they need to use proper extension ladders to reach distant areas using safety measures. Painters in Auckland are advised to use safety cables connected to a well-built house foundation that ensures to hold you secured if you drop off a ladder.

Safety Tips for Interior Painting – Use Stabilizers for Better Balance

While working inside the house, you need to make sure that you have proper ladders for work. If you use ladders that are shorter or longer than the recommended lengths, risk of losing balance while work increases and can even affect the quality of work. Professionals recommend that you have a set of ladders that can be extended to meet the requirements. You can even use stabilizers so that the ladders have proper balance and the work can be done without any risk of getting injured. 

 Safety Tips for Roof Painting – Use Ladders That Are Strong, Stable and Reliable

Roof painting is certainly the most unsafe areas of work and so professional painters need to take proper safety measures while working. While painting roof tops or corners, usage of ladder extensions becomes really important. In such cases, make sure you use a strong and reliable ladder with a proper foundation.  Because roof painting involves too much risk, roof painters Auckland recommend that you hire professionals who use proper safety techniques and have good working experience.          

General Essential Safety Tips

  • Standing on the top ladder increases the risk of getting injured. It is advisable that you distribute the weight properly while working on a ladder.
  • Keep the ladder away from unstable surfaces like doors, partitions or windows.
  • While using a folding ladder, make sure that you open it to the maximum as it increases the ground contact and helps in maintaining proper balance.
  • Before using a ladder make sure that it has all the nuts tight and is good enough to be used.     
  • Never try working on the same ladder preoccupied by someone else. It increases the risk of getting imbalanced and can result is severe injuries.
  • While working with ladders, always wear shoes that are not slippery and have a heavy sole  which prevents foot fatigue.

Author Bio

Jon Ferris  has vast experience in managing a painters company in Auckland. He possesses knowledge about every nitty-gritty aspect of the job, and the complexities involved in painting the more elaborate projects around the town.

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR SAFETY! (GUEST POST)

 It’s the most wonderful time of the year—children are on their best behavior, feasting is an accepted pastime, and Christmas lights twinkle down every street.  Out of all of the holiday preparation that goes into making the magic of the season, hanging outdoor Christmas lights is perhaps the most precarious (unless, of course, you are frying a turkey for Christmas dinner—but that’s another topic entirely).  Whether you are creating your own LED masterpiece a-la Clark Griswold, or assisting an aging loved one, it is imperative to follow a few simple (yet crucial) steps to make sure that you spend your holidays at home (not in the hospital).

Subscribe to the Buddy System

There is safety in numbers, and silly though it may sound, hanging Christmas lights is no exception to this rule.  Having just one other person makes a monumental difference in installation safety, time, and effort.  For example–when using a ladder to reach the gutters, it is beyond beneficial to have another person there to hand you clips, lights, etc.  The buddy system will eliminate your up-and-down the ladder trips, and thus decrease your odds of falling off of the ladder due to reaching, fatigue, or haste.  If you can’t immediately get at least one other person to help, it is advisable to wait.  Should you insist on going it alone, make sure to work within your means, and consider investing in a harness.

Asses your Materials

It is crucial to check the integrity of your light strings and extension cords; if any are broken, cracked, or frayed, do NOT use them.  While you’re checking on the condition of the materials, make sure that all of the bulbs are fully functioning.  If any are broken or dead, replace them now while it’s convenient.  Follow the instructions on the manufacturer’s boxes regarding light connections and maximum string attachments in order to avoid blowing the circuit.  Measure the area(s) you want to cover to make sure that you have enough lights; this isn’t a deficit you want to discover hours into the project.  If you are doing this solo and in regards to the harness suggestion above, think about investing in a full body harness, vertical lifeline, or roof anchor.

Let there be Light

Once you have a buddy (or harness), the right amount of properly functioning materials, and a precipitation-free day, proceed with operation Christmas-lights.  When climbing the ladder to hang lights off of the gutter, don’t lift an uncomfortable or awkward amount of weight.  Jerking and straining your back half-way up a ladder is nobody’s idea of a good time.  Do not staple lights to the roof; rather, use hooks to either hang them from the gutter or the shingles.  Make sure that the ground where you are resting the ladder is flat and solid—otherwise don’t risk it.  If the home you are decorating has multiple stories, consider hanging wreathes or lighted displays in the windows rather than attempting to hang lights off of the second/third story.  If you start to run out of daylight, find a stopping point and continue the project the next day.

It is important to remember that no decorative project is worth jeopardizing your health.  Your loved ones and neighbors alike will understand if you can’t safely attempt to totally light up your home.  If, however, you plan on successfully installing outdoor Christmas lights this year, just keep these simple tips in mind in order to have a happy (and safe!) holiday season.

 

Madison Hill  is a Seattle-based mother of two who takes pride is still being able to embarrass her children despite their ages.  She spends her free time deciphering petroglyphs and pictographs.  When she’s not pruning her bonsai tree or baking homemade shoofly pie, you can find her writing about home care.

 

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

HOW TO PRESSURE WASH ROOFS WITHOUT DAMAGING THE SHINGLES – OR YOURSELF (GUEST POST)

It is very important to clean the roof of a house from time to time to improve its durability. And if you haven’t cleaned your rooftop in a long time, maybe it’s time to pressure wash it for a thorough and effective cleanup. You can always power wash your tiled roof, but it can be risky for a roof having shingles, asphalt shingles in particular.

Pressure-washing may rupture the protective grit that the shingles are coated with, affecting their durability to a great extent. However, if unwanted stuff such as algae, moss or mold on your rooftop is fully grown up, roof cleaning  won’t be effective without a pressure wash. So, when you pressure-wash your shingled roof, make sure you apply minimal pressure and don’t damage it. Here’s how:

Use the Right Wand and Cleaning Solution

Connect a spraying wand to the hose of your pressure washer and fill it with a fine cleaning solution depending upon what (mold, algae or moss) you want to remove from the rooftop. For example if it is algae you are trying to remove, you’ll have to use a cleaning solution specially compounded to clean algae.

Here are some other tips:

  • Be sure the ladder you are using is safe and sturdy.
  • Do not place the weight of the ladder against the metal strip of the roof.
  • Position yourself near the metal strip on the top most of the line, so that you don’t damage shingles much.
  • Consider using some sort of fall protection; a fall from the roof can be very dangerous.

Keep the Pressure Minimum

When you’ve positioned yourself well on the roof, turn the pressure-washer on. Set it on the lowest point and hold the wand upright, allowing too much of pressure in the beginning to scatter. Point the washer toward the shingles in such a way that the water falls on them only and doesn’t disturb the seal.

It is important to be highly careful here because water flowing towards the shingle edges will exert pressure and untie them. Also, doing so will prepare a wet and moist environment for algae to grow quickly.

Clean the Roof in Segments

Don’t try to spread the flow of water on the entire roof at once. Instead, clean the roof in segments. You can begin to wash the roof towards the bottom from the top first and then side to side. Divide the roof into segments in such a way that you need not to change your position too frequently and the pressure of water can easily reach all of them. Leave the portion of the roof where you’ve positioned the ladder for the last.

Following these steps sounds much simpler, but when you actually implement them they’re hard to pull through. In an event when you feel that things are going out of hands, it’s best advised to call upon an expert roof cleaner who will fix things for you.

Author Bio :- Myezy Handyman   is a reliable company which is offering you professional home maintenance and repair services. We have skilled professionals who work with their abilities as well as with experience.  Sent to us by Brett Myors.

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

TOP FIVE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS WHEN USING A LADDER (GUEST POST)

Submitted to us by Ross. 

Ladders are so common we rarely consider them too deeply. You move into your new apartment and there are three old wooden ladders, paint-splattered and splintery, sitting in the bedroom closet for no knowable reason. At the house you grew up in there’s an ancient ladder made from dark wood and brass passed down, apparently, from your great-grandfather. Ladders are everywhere, so common that no one ever considers the fact that ladders can, under the right kind of softheaded abuse, be the most dangerous things you’ll ever use, with the possible exception of a circular saw. 

There are many ways these devices can harm you, but to be fair almost all of them involve one thing in common: User error. 

1. Hopping. Ah yes, you’re on the ladder, you’re finished with this part of the project. You look over wistfully at the next thing in need of paint, or a fresh nail or screw. So near! And yet, out of reach. But you don’t want to climb down, walk the ladder over a few feet, and then climb back up using your legs like some sort of sucker. This is the moment where the fierce independents amongst us decide that all that hogwash about safety is for the Common Man, not you, and you decide to hop the ladder. This involves grabbing hold of it with both hands and through a combination of gravity and momentum getting the ladder to scrape along the floor until it is in a new position. Genius! 

Until you overbalance and end up under the ladder, bleeding from a head wound, of course. 

2. Overreaching. Sometimes the next bit is so temptingly close, you know that if you just lean out a little bit, maybe swinging one leg over to the outside, and you can do it and be a hero! This is a prized move for those of us who slept our way through our science courses in school and thus have an imperfect understanding of mass, gravity, and friction. 

3. Standing on the Top or Shelf. First of all, why provide you with that tempting shelf if it’s not meant to be used as a quick step to enable you to get a little closer to the wall? Those engineers are just cruel pranksters, really. The fact that the word shelf is universally accepted to mean not a step doesn’t factor, really. And the top is, technically a step! It’s sturdy, and just because keeping your balance on it is impossible doesn’t mean you shouldn’t climb up there, proud, brave, and five seconds away from a concussion.

 4. Ladders in Multiples. We salute you, geniuses of the world, for sussing out that if none of your ladders are tall enough you can duct-tape two ladders together and conquer the skies! Later, when you are applying direct pressure to the gash in your head you can regale the hospital staff with Tales of True Genius and they will all go home and head out into the workshop to regard their own ladders with a newfound excitement. 

5. Failure to Lock. You’re busy. Life goes by fast, and who has time for social niceties like wearing pants in public or making sure your A-frame ladder is locked in position? Just pull it mostly open and get to work. Those fools who bother to check things like locked hinges on ladders get their work done five seconds slower, and without the thrill of knowing they have cheated Death’s Younger Cousin, Grievous Injury, once again! 

As you can see, all of these accidents have one thing in common: You. The vast majority of ladders leave the factory in perfectly fit condition, ready to serve you safely for years – if you avoid these five common mistakes. 

 
Author Bio: Ladders Direct are a division of Clow Group Ltd, the largest privately owned manufacturer of access equipment in the UK. They have been manufacturing ladders for 100 years and are specialists in work at height ladder safety training. Connect with Ladders Direct on Twitter @Ladders_Direct.
 
Thanks for this humorous, yet serious post.