Home Safety
Many of the industry-oriented safety principles such as lock-out tag-out and hazard communication can be used to help prevent injuries at home.
Chemicals
Most every ones garage, basement, kitchen, workshop, or bathroom contains hazardous materials. Read the label on most any household chemical and you will find a warning statement. Be aware of the dangerous conditions that could result from misuse. Serious and dangerous reactions may result when you use certain chemicals together such as mixing bleach and ammonia. This produces a deadly gas.
- Don’t try painting with spray paint in a closed up workshop with an open flame heater.
- Don’t remove labels or put chemicals in unlabeled containers.
- Tell anyone you are working with the dangers of the chemicals you are using.
- Keep hazardous chemicals away from children.
If you do your own electrical work turn of the power and unplug the equipment.
Electrical
If you are working on an electrical circuit put tape on the switch or better yet turn off the breaker. If you rewire a circuit or an extension cord, check the polarity. There is a little gadget you can buy at any hardware store to check polarity on any outlet. It is cheap and simple to use. If you get the polarity wrong you will have the hot wire on the outside of the tool or appliance. The tool may work just fine this way but when you touch a ground, you are in big trouble!
- Never unplug a tool by pulling on the cord, always hold the plug and disconnect the cord.
- Don’t step on or run over power cords.
- Keep your shop or work area clean and neat.
- Don’t overload your circuits.
Be safe at home so you can return to work. Think safety first at home and at work.