We are a nation that simply loves our DIY, many of us opt to make our own home improvements or repairs in order to keep the costs down when it comes to paying professionals and many simply love to get their overalls on and embark upon a DIY project. A recent survey found that the average Brit spends around £210 annually on DIY projects with Generation X-ers leading the charge, 29% of them are planning projects for 2017. Women look to be turning their attitudes towards up cycling with 40% being up for this challenge compared with men, when it came to plumbing and electrics however just 5% of the women would have a go whereas 25% of men that were surveyed said they’d be more than happy to try.
One thing that many of us don’t seem to be aware of however are the many dangers that DIY brings with it when it comes to your health, the recent survey from legal outfit Slater and Gordon found some interesting results about people’s attitudes towards both DIY and the risks associated with it including a worrying figure of 48% of those polled were completely unconcerned with their health when it comes to projects in the home.
Here are just some of the dangers that your DIY project can bring with it.
Physical Danger
One of the biggest risks that DIY can pose is of a physical nature, namely using dangerous tools without proper training. Saws, hammers, axes, electric tools such as drills and saws can do a great deal of physical damage and without due care and attention, you could quite easily lose a finger, a limb or worse. There are other dangers that exist if you don’t know what you are doing such as drilling into electrical cables that could result in electric shocks, interestingly, the survey found that 25% of those asked, would be more than happy to drill into walls.
Chemical Dangers
One of the biggest and most hidden dangers of DIY projects exist in the chemicals that are used in many products, and how the great danger that they can pose to your health. Many of the dangers cannot be seen nor touched and here are some of the key things to watch out for before starting your project.
– Asbestos
This was a product that was used in many construction materials in the past, it has since been outlawed due to the health dangers it presents such as asbestosis, lung cancer and a rare cancer called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer thats causes are exclusively linked to exposure to asbestos, it is life threatening and causes much pain and damage to the respiratory system, if you have been exposed to asbestos in the past then you can apply for mesothelioma compensation from Slater and Gordon, this cancer is a scary prospect and one that should not be taken lightly, call professionals if you think that you have asbestos in the home.
– Lead
Similar to asbestos, Lead was used heavily in construction pre-1970s, exposure to it can have grave consequences to both your body and brain including things like lowering of IQ and behavioral issues. Check out the details of your home if it was built before the 70s and see if it has been updated since to remove the lead in the house.
– MDF
MDF may appear like a brilliant, cheap and multipurpose wood but the treatment that it is given with formaldehyde can present dangers that can lead to respiratory issues. Ensure that you are using a mask when dealing with MDF.
These are just some of the dangers associated with DIY in a list of many, the best thing that you can do is to fully research dangers that can exist with the project that you are about to take on and fully analyze the materials and tools that you will be using beforehand.
