4 Personal Protective Equipment Every Home DIYer Should Own
Having the right personal protective equipment is essential to for your personal safety.
06/07/2021
If you enjoy building, repairing, or modifying things at home, you must be a certified do-it-yourselfer (DIYer). You just might love hearing the sound of slicing, zinging, and hammering in your home. But amidst all the fun and excitement of getting things done on your own, you have to prioritise safety above all. Having the right personal protective equipment is essential to make you an ultimate DIYer.
DIY 101: Going Through Your Checklist
Before working on your next DIY project, it’s non-negotiable to secure yourself and come prepared for anything that might happen. You can’t be too sure when it comes to working around power tools, wood, and metal at times.
Having sufficient safety gear would help in preventing any injury. If any accident occurs, the impact would likely be lessened if you’re wearing the right protective equipment. Take a look at this list below to find out which personal protective equipment you must have in your toolbox before working on your next DIY project.
1. Work Clothes
It's not enough to wear old clothes when doing DIY projects. There should be some kind of protective clothing over your regular clothes to be safer, especially if your project involves using dangerous equipment, like a chainsaw.
If you’re working with chemicals or paint, you might want to wear long-sleeved shirts or tops to protect your skin. You could pair it with work shorts that are made from tear-resistant materials to prevent any injury.
Some DIYers also find it easier to work when they’re wearing coveralls, which provide full-body protection, particularly from dust and chemicals. It’s also important to wear appropriate work shoes or boots to protect your feet and toes from sharp objects that may fall accidentally.
2. Safety Glasses
One protective piece of equipment that must always be worn when working on a DIY project is a pair of safety glasses or goggles. This equipment would provide protection to your eyes from debris, such as dust and metal or wood shavings.
The glasses are helpful when you’re using power tools that produce small flyaway particles, which could get in your eyes. Safety goggles could also protect your eyes when working with toxic solvents, like polish and varnish used on furniture.
This type of goggles or eyewear is generally bigger than the average reading glasses. If you wear eyeglasses, you could look for safety goggles that could be worn over your glasses. When buying this gear, be sure to choose a pair that would perfectly fit your face. Try them on to make sure they feel comfortable on the bridge of your nose.
3. Ear Protection
Aside from eye protection, you’d also need gear for your ears to protect your hearing. If you’re about to use a tool as loud as a drill, a jigsaw, or a jackhammer, remember to put on your ear protection first.
Earmuffs could provide the most protection if you’re usually using loud power tools. If you want something that’s less restrictive and could easily fit in your pocket, you could opt for earplugs instead.
The eardrums are highly sensitive. If they’re exposed to more than 85 decibels of sound for an extended amount of time, there’s a possibility the inner ear may be damaged. It could even lead to noise-induced hearing loss. To prevent this from happening, be sure to include ear protection gear when building your safety toolbox.
4. Work Gloves
Another staple protective equipment that every DIYer should own is a pair of high-quality work gloves. Gloves aren’t only useful when doing DIY projects because you could also wear them whenever you’re doing house chores and duties. Hand protection is most essential when there’s a need to handle sharp or heavy objects, which may pierce or hurt your skin. An example of this is wood planks, which may cause splinters.
Gloves are available in different sizes, materials, and types, depending on what task you’re planning to tackle. If you’d handle any type of liquid or fluid, you may choose disposable nitrile gloves. Rubber gloves are perfect for kitchen and housekeeping chores that deal with dirt and chemicals. While cloth or canvas work gloves may not offer as much protection as leather ones, they’re more comfortable to use and may suffice for household chores and simple DIY projects.
Conclusion
Before getting started on your next DIY project, make sure you’re armed with the right personal protective equipment. Having these gears would make you safer and protected from any possible injuries or accidents that may happen while exploring your DIYing venture. As you build your safety toolkit for your next project, you’d have an idea of which equipment to add, depending on the kind of task you’d work on and the amount of protection it’d require.