Easter DIY? Take Care

We are well and truly heading out of winter, we’re done with cold weather, Easter is on its way. Are you itching to start DIYing? We begin looking around the house… This needs fixing, that needs painting and what about that project? So, we have plenty of things we want to do... let’s get the tool shed open and make a start… STOP!

“St John Ambulance has revealed around 200,000 people are admitted to accident and emergency departments across the country due to a DIY-related accident each year.”

Do you want to be a DIY Accident Statistic? I suspect you’d rather be a DIY hero who wraps up a few tricky jobs and then celebrates for the rest of the weekend, tucking into some lovely Easter Eggs and enjoying some well earnt rest time with the family.

Think Straight

Before you make a start on those home improvements, take a serious look at what could go wrong. It may seem a bit much, but a mental risk assessment of the job is really going to engage your mind and iron out any problems before you start. Are you going to be working at height? Think carefully about possible problems positioning ladders or make time to position a proper access platform. Standing on the chair is a big NO, NO. Does the job in hand mean using a hammer and nails? If you are not a regular to hammering nails, take your time, hold the hammer at the correct part of the shaft and do not take your eye of the nail head, Your Thumb will thank you for this.

What further Precautions can you take?

Are you going to be working in a dusty environment? Even if there is no risk from dangerous substances you may find you work much more effectively and safer wearing a simple Dust mask. Are you going in the loft to maybe upgrade a TV Arial or some other job? How about protecting your head with a simple bump cap, they have saved many a head from bumps and scrapes? Braving the rain and wind in the garden to attack that overgrown hedge? Choose the right gloves for the job.

Be Prepared

First Aid around the home can be incredibly important when the time comes. Have you got a basic first Aid kit? Has it got everything you may need? Hopefully of course you won’t need it if you have given some thought to the steps above. But if you do need it, you will be thankful you had one and it is stocked with the correct plasters, bandages, and other aids.

And what about giving yourself more education, it’s never a bad thing; St John Ambulance, said: "It's important that everyone learns basic first aid, especially as so many accidents happen at home.

"First aid is such a simple skill, but it has an incredible impact.

"Armed with this knowledge, we can all benefit. It could be the difference between a life lost and a life saved."

Thanks for reading, Stay Safe this Easter and have a Great Time.

John