Each year, almost seven million Americans injure themselves doing projects around the house.

That fact shouldn't deter you from giving household tasks a try. It should, however, make you be aware that there are potential dangers involved in such work, and act accordingly.

You should be cautious, but not afraid. Norm Abram once told me that when "you're afraid of a tool, that's when you are most likely to injure yourself seriously. Confidence can reduce the chances of getting hurt."

Although some people parody Abram's New Yankee Workshop mantra about safety glasses, you should always wear them, whether using power tools, sanding a door or hammering a nail. The National Safety Council says that more than one million Americans sustain eye injuries each year, and that 90 percent of these accidents could be prevented by using protective eyewear.

A pair of good safety glasses should cost no more than $20 at a home center.

Few do-it-yourselfers use ear plugs or ear muffs while working with loud power tools or lawn mowers, even though the safety council says that 30 million people are exposed to noise that damages hearing.

Even fewer wear hard hats, even though 450,000 emergency-room visits each year are the result of being struck by a falling object, the safety council says.

And 25 percent of all emergency-room visits are the result of injuries that occur around the house.

The most common, untreated injuries included dirt in the eye (60 percent), cuts (69 percent), and hitting fingers with a hammer (70 percent).

Before you embark on a home-improvement project, understand the potential hazards that may be involved and plan accordingly.

• If you are using a tall ladder to paint the exterior of your house, you might want to employ a safety harness.

• Choose safety eyewear designed for each job. For example, your spectacles may have safety lenses, but that doesn't mean the impact of flying debris won't shatter the lens and send glass or plastic into your eye. Conversely, not all safety goggles will protect you from splashed chemicals.

• Don't drape an extension cord over an area you will repeatedly traverse during the project, because you increase the odds of tripping over it.

• As you complete portions of the project, clean up the area, removing spent nails and screws, pieces of scrap lumber or drywall.

• Wear the right kind of respiratory equipment. A disposable dust mask with a single strap reduces only the amount of pollen or non-toxic dust you could inhale. Government-approved respirators, which are available in home centers and hardware stores, are better protection from toxic dust and fumes such as those associated with chemical strippers used in refinishing furniture.

  While asbestos and lead removal are not do-it-yourself projects, the professionals who do such work use high-efficiency particulate air filters. Other kinds of filters should be used for spray painting or pesticide application.

• Follow product guidelines.

• Protect your hearing. Wear earplugs or industrial ear muffs that look like headphones.

• Wear gloves or work clothes to protect your skin from contact with pesticides. That also goes for do-it-yourselfers who install fiberglass insulation (you'll itch for hours otherwise).

• Ventilate properly. Never strip furniture in a closed room. Open windows, use fans, make sure the polluted air is constantly being replaced by fresh air.

• Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of sand handy.

• Keep loose-fitting clothing, hair and jewelry from becoming entangled in power tools. You can use duct tape to temporarily "tailor" loose clothing, and keep the hair under a hat.

An important thing to consider is whether or not the job can be done by a do-it-yourselfer or requires a professional. Too often we try things because the people on television make it look easy. Yet even TV repair people emphasize repeatedly that some jobs require education and on-the-job experience.

For instance, electricity is one thing better left to the professionals.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 40,000 residential fires each year are directly attributable to problems with electrical wiring systems.

These fires typically result in 350 deaths, and cause thousands of injuries from electric shocks and burns, the commission says. They also cause more than $2 billion in personal property damage annually, according to the commission.

Electrical cords and plugs were involved in about 7,100 of the 40,000 fires, directly causing 120 deaths, or almost one-third of the total, the commission reported.

Other causes included lamps and light fixtures, 8,900 fires and 60 deaths; and faulty switches and outlets, 4,700 fires and 60 deaths.

In addition, about 3,600 people are treated for injuries associated with extension cords, the commission said.

A lot of these deaths and injuries are attributable to electrical work performed by unlicensed amateurs, just to save a few dollars.

Safety is worth more than a few dollars. It's worth lives.

For more articles by Al Heavens, please press here.

Published: August 16, 2001

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