Home renovation seems easy. Just paint, drill, saw, glue, and paint some more. Be careful with tools like drills and hazardous materials like asbestos. Unfortunately, focusing on those common hazards means less obvious ones slip through. Then accidents happen. You must stay on your guard to stop silly mistakes. Here are two home renovation hazards you forgot when you renovated. Beware of these hazards to reduce the chance of getting hurt when you redecorate.
No. 1 Home Renovation Hazard You Forgot: Poor Communication.
Picture this: a wife leaves her paint can at the top of a ladder. She comes down and warns her husband about the can, but he is distracted by the radio. He trips over and knocks into the ladder, sending the can crashing down. He stands, drenched in paint.
Now imagine the paint can was a drill.
Poor communication is the most dangerous hazard and the easiest to prevent. When your team works on home renovation, communicate properly. Every hour, every day, every week should have good communication. Make sure the whole group knows what’s happening before it happens. Make sure the person being spoken to is listening. Turn off distractions like the TV, radio, and internet. When speaking, look each other in the eye and clarify that everything is understood. Do this every time.
Charts and drawings are other highly visible forms of communication. Like phone calls, they are hard to miss. Anyone can overlook a text message or email during a busy home renovation project. When you’re not communicating in person, choose a contact method that’s almost impossible to miss. Vary your communication channel to keep everyone on their toes and maintain their attention.
No. 2 Home Renovation Hazard You Forgot: Careless/Silly Behaviour.
Picture this: a teenage son stops packing boxes to watch football on TV. When the game ends, he reaches down and tries to lift a box. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten it was very heavy. He lets go and clutches his aching back before his parents lead him away.
He’s put on bed rest.
Make sure everyone on your team takes home renovation seriously by paying attention. It only takes one silly mistake to get someone killed.
Careless behaviour to watch out for includes leaving tools lying around. Someone could easily trip over and land on a sharp object. Another careless mistake is leaving hot items unattended without warning others. This could cause serious burns. More careless behaviour includes not tidying up after yourself. When you move through a messy room, some hazards will catch your eye, taking attention away from others. Practice good communication by reminding others to keep their work space organised.
Respect the hazards of home renovation. You shouldn’t be scared to do those much needed odd-jobs, but always be on your guard. Silly mistakes are dangerous when it comes to home renovation, so keep this list somewhere visible. Refer to it on a regular basis and make sure your team knows what to look out for, for everyone’s sake.
