What Do the Statistics of DIY Jobs Tell Us?
There’s no doubt that it’s extremely advantageous to have a few handyman skills as a home owner. Whether it’s basic gardening, cleaning the drains or repainting the interior of your house, relying on a professional 100% of the time just isn’t practical or cost effective.
Some homeowners may be better off having an idea of how to go about the basic stuff but always have a quality professional just a phone call away if necessary. Obviously it’s different for everyone, but if you’re considering going about a DIY job yourself, make sure you know what you’re doing an take proper precautions. Some recent statistics about the safety of DIY may convince you that sometimes it’s better to let the pros handle it.
Aussies Love to DIY
It’s no secret that we love rolling our sleeves up here in Australia. Statistics indicate that some 80% of Victorian households have home maintenance equipment. Another statistics has unfortunately shown, our enthusiasm in this area means there are around 14 annual DIY related deaths in the state compared to 47 total fatalities in all of England.
Ladder Safety is No Joke
It shouldn’t come at any surprise that one of the most common ways of hurting yourself working on a DIY job is to fall or slip from a ladder. A ladder may be used for a range of purposes, but one of the most popular is in the painting of exteriors and interiors.
Almost 5 Australians, on average, die per year in ladder related incidences and hundreds more are hospitalized. It’s often older men that have these accidents and you only have to fall a short distance to cause a serious injury. Professional exterior house painters are experienced in ladder safety and take it very seriously.
Always remember to keep the ladder within arm’s reach while you’re working or painting, or better yet keep a hold of it at all times if you can. Ensure that it is placed firmly on steady ground and store it in a dry place to avoid corrosion. The vast majority of accidents happen because the ladder falls, so keep this in mind.
More Accidents Occur During the Summer Months
We tend to do more DIY jobs during the warmer months and for good reason. Homeowners should rightly avoid working on paint jobs and other DIY requirements when the weather conditions are less than ideal. This means that there are a lot more DIYers working on their homes or doing repairs in summer and thus more beginners and inexperienced people on the job. Remember that just because the weather conditions are safe, doesn’t mean you don’t need to be extra careful.
Paint Itself Can be a Genuine Hazard
In England, statistics indicate that some 4,000 people are taken to hospital due to injuries that involve slipping on wet paint or tripping over painting tools. These factors should not be underestimated; refrain from using plastic drop cloths when you’re painting indoors as they can become very slippery when wet. Also, take care when you’re moving around and put things to the side to ensure they don’t get in the way.
Don’t take chances when it comes to your safety; always do what you can to ensure you’re working in a safe environment and if you feel you’re not up to the job or don’t have the necessary equipment, call Dulux Accredited painters in Frankston and nearby suburbs. Joyce provides a range of handyman services from carpentry and electrical to the interior and exterior painting.
Call us now (03 5940 0247) for more info.