Planning a DIY project? Don't forget your protective gear!
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Did you know?
In a survey by the National Safety Council, 92% felt it was important to protect themselves from injury while doing home improvement projects. But 41% of those same respondents admitted to not using personal protection gear.
Source: National Safety Council, 2012
Eye injuries are the second-leading cause of visual impairment in the U.S.
Source: “Eye Trauma Epidemiology and Prevention,” United States Eye Injury Registry, 2007
Hearing loss due to noise is almost entirely preventable. Remember to use hearing protection whenever you use a saw.
Source: “Life Can Be Loud”, Elliott H. Berger, M.S., Senior Scientist, Auditory Research, 2003
For a respirator to effectively help protect you from inhaling irritating dust, dirt, fumes and odors, make sure you have a good seal around the face. And wear the respirator for the duration of the project.
Your respirator should fit well with your eye and hearing protection. Before you start your project, try on your lung, eye and hearing protection together to make sure everything fits.
26 million Americans have high-frequency hearing loss. The damage is often caused by exposure to loud noises at work or in leisure activities.
Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
More than 50% of all eye injuries occur in and around the home while doing DIY tasks. And 90% of these injuries could be prevented by using protective eyewear.
Source: Eye Injuries at Home: EyeSmart, American Academy of Ophthalmology. Feb. 2009
Noise doesn”t need to be painfully loud to be harmful. Repeated, prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss.
Source: Common Environmental Noise Levels Factsheet, Center for Hearing and Communication, 2012
Choosing the right size of respirator is important for both protection and comfort. If the respirator is too big or bulky, it may interfere with your field of vision, making it hard to see what you are working on. If it is too small, it may be uncomfortable and hard to talk.
Noise-induced hearing damage is cumulative. This means that you lose it slowly over time with continual exposure to loud sounds.
Sunglasses should never be a substitute for safety glasses. Sunglasses have a higher chance of shattering when hit by flying debris than safety eyewear.
Source: National Safety Council
If you have to shout to be heard from more than three feet away, the noise level is likely above 85 decibels, and you need hearing protection.
To get a good seal between the edges of the respirator and your face, you must be clean shaven and hair should be pulled back.
Ringing in your ears is called "tinnitus." It”s one sign that the nerve cells in your inner ear have been overexposed to noise either from a concert, a power tool or a lawnmower.
