There’s a lot to consider when thinking about undertaking a home renovation project:  timescale, budget, planning, logistics, the list is endless and can almost be enough to put off anyone.   But even when you’ve cleared your diary and scheduled everything down to the last second, you’ve got a water-tight plan of action and you have set up stall with everything you could possibly need to hand, there is one thing that many people forget or simply ignore – safety!

From the most basic of tasks to the creation of a second home escape at the end of the garden with electricity and running water, there are hazards all around, and it is hugely important to ensure you have the correct protection to avoid an unnecessary trip down to the emergency department at your local hospital.

Ventilate and Protect

When carrying out any renovations, you should make sure that your working space is well lit and ventilated.  Carrying out maintenance and repairs in the summer is a good idea as you can make use of your outside space to avoid creating a dusty or fume filled working environment.  Windows can be opened wide to create a good flow of air to blow away dust and fumes and to help the drying process.

It can be all too easy to disregard the hazards of built up dust from plastering jobs, paint and adhesive fumes but they can cause feelings of nausea and dizziness, irritate and enflame skin, trigger headaches and more extremely affect lung function.  Good ventilation is a simple way of reducing the build-up of any unwelcome threats it is not always possible.  In times of inclement weather it may be necessary to invest in a dust nuisance mask to work in that helps to filter out any unwanted hazards.

Wear Suitable Clothing

Whilst good ventilation helps with certain hazards, there is only so much fresh air can do.  You also need to protect your skin from inflammation, grazes, splinters, cuts and bruising, burns – this list goes on!  Good quality gloves will help protect those precious pinkies and there is a great variety of clothing available to aid protection of your extremities whilst still being comfortable to wear and work in; trousers with pockets for kneepads, to make floor work easier; lightweight coveralls for all over protection; ear defenders, safety glasses that look good enough to double up as sunglasses; headgear and a whole host of safety footwear to cover most situations that could also easily be worn out and about at the weekend without looking out of place.  So forget the image that wearing personal protection gear is for the construction site only, there is a huge range of great products out there that will prevent injury and satisfy the most fashion conscious amongst us.  Investing in good quality protective gear will help keep you safe and comfortable no matter what project you undertake and can be bought at discount prices from places such as www.ebrookes.co.uk.

Don’t Be Afraid To Leave It To The Professionals

Finally, if your renovations throw you some unexpected problems, such as encountering hazardous materials like asbestos, don’t be a hero, leave it to the professionals – after all, that’s what they are there for.  Don’t forget it’s better to be safe than sorry!