subject: 5 Safety Tips to Build Your Own Garden Shed [print this page] 5 Safety Tips to Build Your Own Garden Shed
Part of the planning and building of a garden storage shed should be the consideration and exercise of proper safety precautions. Too often we take safety for granted. Imagine the pain and lost time to nurse a cut finger or black thumb nail or to remove a sliver from your hand. Paying attention to these five safety tips can reduce the chances of these injuries from happening to you. To build your own garden shed should be a fun and exciting experience, not a pain.
1. Wear proper protective gear; Safety glasses, protective clothing, hard hat, leather gloves, etc, to avoid personal injury.
2. Use proper care in handling materials to avoid injury to yourself and to other people working around you. Wearing gloves can reduce the chances of getting cuts or slivers in your hands or fingers. Protective clothing can help prevent cuts and bruises to arms and legs. To avoid back injury, be sure to ask for help to move heavy lumber or sheeting.
3. Keep the working area as clear as possible to avoid stumbling or falling. Try to organize your lumber, sheeting and other supplies on neat piles so that they can be picked up easily and safely without falling all over.
4. Use hand tools with caution when sawing or nailing to avoid injury. When sawing materials make sure the are properly supported and keep fingers clear of the cutting edge. A proper hammer, usually a claw hammer, should be used for nailing. Take care while holding the nail to get it started. Many people have hit the wrong nail and ended up with a painfull black thumb nail. With care and practice you can reduce these kinds of injuries. Some tools may easier to hold without gloves to have a better grip and therefore, extra precautions need to be taken to avoid injury.
5. Follow all safety rules when using power tools and keep your full attention to the job you are doing. Make sure the lumber or sheeting is well supported and held in a solid position before pushing the switch. Always be aware of what could happen if the piece of wood slips or if chips fly, or if fingers get too close to the cutting line. Remember, you must be in control at all times and not allow yourself to get distracted.
Avoiding personal injury or injury to someone around you should be a major consideration when you build your own garden shed. By following these five safety tips you should be able to plan and complete your building project safely with both confidence and satisfaction; A garden storage shed you can be proud of.
