Heavy Breathing
A recent national survey rated the top pet peeves of do-it-yourselfers. Here are the top three:
- breathing in fumes or particles
- getting chemicals or paint on the skin
- getting clothes stained or dirty
- having greasy or slippery hands
The survey was conducted by Kimberly Clark, which apparently has a professional protective apparel line.
I don't know about other DIYs, but I often don't wear the protective gear that I know I should. One reason is that I forget til I'm in the middle of the activity. But more often than not, it's because the thing that's supposed to protect me ends up preventing me from doing the job safely. For instance, safety goggles over my glasses may protect my eyes, but then I have trouble seeing. Since I'm at "that age" and often have to remove my glasses to do close work, it means removing two pairs of glasses, then putting the goggles back on. And I still can't see clearly!
When it comes to dust masks, maybe I just haven't found the right one. They're hot, they make my glasses fog up, and they seem to offer relatively little protection. But I know I'm making a mistake when I don't wear one. Sometimes, I try to protect myself by pulling the front of my shirt over my nose while the sander's going. But it inevitably keeps falling down, making me remove one hand from the sander--not a safe thing to do.
This is definitely something I need to investigate further. After all, I'm such a safety nut that I won't leave the house with the dryer or dishwasher running for fear of electrical fires. I refuse to let my kids ride their bikes without a helmet or swim without adult supervision (not my supervision; I'm a terrible swimmer). I go back up the stairs at least twice every morning to be absolutely sure that I unplugged the curling iron (even though it has an automatic shutoff). I always have my keys in my hand when I leave a store and head for the car. And I cringe every time I think of my 45-year-old husband climbing on his new 450-cc dirtbike. So I'm being rather hypocritical when I fail to take proper safety precautions in my own "workshop."
My workshop--I like the sound of that. Someday, maybe that dream will come true! In the meantime, I'd better make sure I'm alive to enjoy it when the time comes. Happy sanding.
I don't know about other DIYs, but I often don't wear the protective gear that I know I should. One reason is that I forget til I'm in the middle of the activity. But more often than not, it's because the thing that's supposed to protect me ends up preventing me from doing the job safely. For instance, safety goggles over my glasses may protect my eyes, but then I have trouble seeing. Since I'm at "that age" and often have to remove my glasses to do close work, it means removing two pairs of glasses, then putting the goggles back on. And I still can't see clearly!
When it comes to dust masks, maybe I just haven't found the right one. They're hot, they make my glasses fog up, and they seem to offer relatively little protection. But I know I'm making a mistake when I don't wear one. Sometimes, I try to protect myself by pulling the front of my shirt over my nose while the sander's going. But it inevitably keeps falling down, making me remove one hand from the sander--not a safe thing to do.
This is definitely something I need to investigate further. After all, I'm such a safety nut that I won't leave the house with the dryer or dishwasher running for fear of electrical fires. I refuse to let my kids ride their bikes without a helmet or swim without adult supervision (not my supervision; I'm a terrible swimmer). I go back up the stairs at least twice every morning to be absolutely sure that I unplugged the curling iron (even though it has an automatic shutoff). I always have my keys in my hand when I leave a store and head for the car. And I cringe every time I think of my 45-year-old husband climbing on his new 450-cc dirtbike. So I'm being rather hypocritical when I fail to take proper safety precautions in my own "workshop."
My workshop--I like the sound of that. Someday, maybe that dream will come true! In the meantime, I'd better make sure I'm alive to enjoy it when the time comes. Happy sanding.
posted by Tif at 5:13 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Handymama - sorry to post this as a comment but did not know how else to reach you. You posted on my Blog Book blog and I wanted to quote you. I need more info so please email me at mediaegg@hotmail.com so I can respond with questions.
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