Jobs around the home and upcycling have become increasingly popular amongst homeowners in recent years with many taking DIY up as a hobby rather than just through necessity. A recent survey around DIY in the home saw a huge 23% of those asked were planning on a DIY project for 2017, almost a quarter.
Upcycling in particular has become pretty fashionable too and lots of people are looking to put their own stamp on their home through breathing fresh life into old pieces of furniture. What many people may not be aware of is the dangers that come with doing DIY around the home and the risk of illness or injury is greatly increased when you pick up your tools to start a new project. Let’s take a look at just some of the dangers that you could face when taking on a DIY job.
Dangerous Tools
The biggest threat is physical injury as a result of the tools which you may be using on your DIY task, hammers, drills, saws and sharp tools present the biggest risks and it is important that you know exactly what you are doing before picking up dangerous tools. The DIY survey that was carried out found that just 4% of those who answered thought that sawing through a piece of MDF or treated woods could pose an extreme health risk. This is a worryingly low percentage when you consider the dangers that a mistake when sawing could cause.
Poisonous Materials
It is not just the tools of the job that can present dangers, the materials can cause health problems as well, 63% of those surveyed who are planning projects for 2017 will be removing wallpaper, tiles or plaster and just 24% of them saw any risk in doing so when in fact, there are still health dangers in even simple tasks like this.
- Woods like MDF are treated with resins which can be harmful when inhaled, the formaldehyde which is often used contains dangerous carcinogens that have been linked to respiratory issues.
- For those living in old homes, the use of lead around the home can cause a great number of problems including potential brain damage, caution should be taken if you have lead piping around the house.
- Mould presents a lot of dangers to your lung health and if you are working in an area with mould then use a breathing mask when dealing with it or call for a professional, mould can come about very easily in the home and you need to keep an eye out for it.
- Asbestos is now illegal to use in the home but for over 50 years this chemical was used in many building materials. The dangers of asbestos can lead to lung cancer and a cancer called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is relatively unheard of, 61% of those surveyed had never heard of it and 30% of those who had heard of it had no idea about its causes, yet it is a debilitating and life threatening cancer which is directly linked to asbestos exposure, symptoms can take 20 or more years to appear.
The company who carried out the survey are specialists in helping those with this cancer and many people are now taking the chance to make mesothelioma claims from Slater and Gordon after being exposed to this dangerous chemical throughout the years. When you are carrying out jobs and projects around the home then you need to ensure that you fully understand all of the risks associated with the job, there are lots of dangers that you can’t see but can cause you great problems.
