A home exterior renovation is a complex matter involving a lot of hidden, as well as several pretty transparent dangers. The danger of falling from a height while working on a façade, the risks that come from remodeling the roof, an inadequately prepared scaffold and a hazard that something might fall from the roof or the scaffold are just some of them. So, here are several safety features that contractors need to have in mind during the home exterior renovation in order to make it substantially safer.
- Proper equipment
The first thing first that needs to be taken into consideration is the risk of items that might fall from a height. While a hard hat may not be able to protect you from fall damage, what if someone on a scaffold above you was to accidentally knock down a hammer and drop it directly onto your head. This is something that every single worker at the site needs to have in mind and wear a hard hat at all times, regardless if they’re working or taking a break at the moment. On the other hand, not every fall is from a great height. Anyone who has ever been to a construction site knows just how easy it is to trip, fall and hit your head against something sharp. This too is something that wearing a hard hat can protect you from.
- Be careful with paint and dust
The next thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that most home exterior renovations entail some sort of painting, which can be quite problematic from a certain standpoint. First of all, some paint solutions may cause irritation or skin damage, which is something you need to be extra careful of. Moreover, an old paint may contain traces of asbestos or lead, which is why you should wear a mask while sanding, scraping or removing it in any other way. Finally, spraying a large surface of your home is a time-saving idea, yet, it’s one that might require some extra care.
- Scaffolds are not as safe as you think
As for the scaffold, they are probably the most transparently frightening constructions at the site. Furthermore, if assembled by an inexperienced crew or erected on an unstable surface, they might come to cause a whole world of trouble. Most importantly, the use of a scaffold may also include the necessity for ladders, which are a hidden hazard during their every use both when mounting and descending. Fortunately, there are some alternatives to this and you could easily replace scaffolds with vertical personnel lifts.
- Properly treating your tools
This is pretty self-explanatory but you would be surprised at just how many accidents get caused each year by those who just leave their tools on the ground or (in the worst case scenario) mishandle their electrical tools near water sources. Here, however, there are too many tips to list. In general, make sure to depose an item you’re not using to its designated spot. If you need to multitask between two different items, make sure to increase your alertness to a maximum.
- Keeping your work area clean
This last piece of advice can be interpreted as the extension of the previous section, in fact, it’s also something we’ve referenced on in the first section, as well. Working in a cluttered construction site, in this case, a cluttered backyard is an accident just waiting to happen; a looming disaster. Therefore, you need to make sure everything is neat and clean. As you work, there might be some debris, so make sure to keep tidying up every single day, both before and after you finish work. Tidying up the place just once simply won’t be enough.
In conclusion
At the very end, a home exterior renovation is a complex, expensive and hazardous project, even without someone getting injured in the process. Unfortunately, this is not up to a single person, regardless if it’s a contractor, construction site supervisor or a property owner we’re talking about. What matters, however, that you do all that you can in order to minimize these hazards, as well as make it easier to follow these safe business practices. With the above-listed five tips on your side, this won’t be that hard to pull off.
