Whether you’re hanging up a picture on your living room wall or carrying out a major DIY kitchen rehaul, it’s important that you follow some basic safety precautions to prevent any preventable injuries: it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The great thing is that you don’t need to be a professional contractor or repairman to do start practicing more safety. But what exactly are these safety precautions? Let’s look at some common things you can do to practice safety when working around the house. Hopefully, you’ll never need the healthcare experts ThriveMD after you read these safety tips.

Turning Off The Power

Ask any contractor and they’ll tell you that electricity can be a tricky thing to deal with — it’s invisible and can be extremely dangerous. If you have to do anything that is connected to a power grid (replacing stripped wires or working on an outlet), you should turn off the power at the fuse box. And secondly, it’s wise to use a tool that measures electrical current to double-check if a wire is hot or not before you touch it. You can never be too careful when working with electricity.

Roof Repairs

A home’s roof is constantly under assault from the exterior elements (rain, wind, heat, hail, etc.). Because of this, your roof might need more maintenance and repairs than other parts of your home; unfortunately, the roof of a home can be a dangerous place. When doing anything on your roof — replacing shingles or cleaning the gutters — it’s best to be on a stable ladder than on the roof directly. If you need to climb onto your roof, make sure that it’s dry and your shoes have good traction. Even a fall from eight feet in the air can be lethal.

Cleaning Up

Any type of home repair or improvement can leave a mess behind. If you’re replacing a door hinge, screws can fall onto the floor. If you’re replacing drywall, the mess and debris left behind will be even greater. It’s important to thoroughly clean up your workspace, double-checking for any tools, debris, nails, fastenings, or glass that might’ve got left behind. Having a shop vac is a great way to accomplish this: it’s much more effective than your hands or a broom and dustpan. Additionally, here are 4 home improvement projects to DIY (and 4 not to DIY) to help you practice these new safety techniques.