Cold Chisels – Safety Tips

Keep all chisels sharpened and in good order. Discard or treat any chisel with a cracked or chipped face. Never use a chisel that has a ‘mushroomed’ end from being struck by a hammer. Using a chisel like this will likely result in a metal fragment flying off. Always use a pair of goggles or other safety glasses to protect you. Never use a chisel when children are playing around your work area. Some chisels are sold with a plastic guard which also serves as a hand hold. These are the best to buy as however much practice you have had, one day without it you will hammer your own hand !

Asbestos

In the UK, houses built between 1920 and the 1980s may incorporate asbestos. Artex containing some 3-5% asbestos was banned at this time. Asbestos was not totally banned until late in 1999.

What dangers does it pose? There are several asbestos-related cancers of the lungs and chest-lining. The risks to your health are limited provided that asbestos is not worked or crumbling; this will cause the dust which you can then inhale.

Where is it found? As well as in Artex, asbestos cement was used to make roof tiles, corrugated roofs, boiler flues and insulated panels. Some houses have gutters, drainpipes and soffits made from this material.

This form of asbestos, a white variety, is perhaps the least dangerous. Brown or blue asbestos is much more dangerous.

What should you do? Don’t drill, sand or cut any material which you suspect contains asbestos. If it is flaking, it can be sealed with a paint. If you do any major work to Artex, you should consider getting the Artex removed by a specialist. Do not try to remove the asbestos-containing material yourself. Seek advice from a surveyor or an asbestos removal company.

If you are still worried, contact your local authority and the building surveyors department; ask them for the name of a company that will test a sample for you.

The Asbestos Advisory Service (AAS) aims to provide independent, accurate information and best-practice guidance on matters related to work with asbestos. It is intended to be a single point of reference primarily for the householder seeking guidance on dealing with asbestos in the home.

Contact the AAS in Northern Ireland;

The Asbestos Advisory Service is based at 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast, BT6 9FR and can be reached on;

One-2-One Helpline:	0800 0320 121
Textphone:	028 9054 6896
Fax:	028 9023 5383
Email:	asbestos@detini.gov.uk

Old Plaster – Anthrax Spores

Plaster usually contains horsehair and, before controls were introduced in 1895, could contain anthrax spores. Although there are no recorded cases of infections from this source, when removing plaster you should take reasonable precautions.

English Heritage recommend that you should:

• cover all cuts, abrasions and other wounds with waterproof dressings to prevent infection
• keep hands and fingernails clean and avoid hand-to-mouth contact during work
• wear protective clothing (such as disposable gloves, overalls, eye protection, dust masks) appropriate to the task in hand. Dust masks should provide protection against infectious agents (FFP3 type, European Standard EN 149).
• not eat or drink in work areas and wash hands thoroughly before handling food
• keep first aid kits well-maintained and to hand, and ensure they contain waterproof dressings
• if removing old plaster, ensure that it is disposed of in accordance with local and statutory national controls, and that the generation of dust is minimised (e.g. by vacuum cleaning using a high-efficiency filter instead of dry-brush cleaning).
• keep surrounding areas clean and dust-free
• ensure that personal are informed of the risk and risk management strategy.

Lead Paint

Beware of lead paint. Whereas the removal of paint containing lead should not normally affect adults, it does pose a risk to children. Lead is absorbed through the skin or by ingestion. If your child has been exposed to any kind of lead paint through fumes, flakes or dust, you can have your child tested.

Adults should wear a respirator and ensure good ventilation. Do not eat or drink while working. Keep children away.

If you suspect old paint, make sure you use a paint stripper which creates a poultice which obviates the need for scraping and avoids fumes. All other paint removal methods pose a threat to young children. Chemical strippers generate fumes which may carry lead. Blow lamps and hot air strippers generate fumes and dust. Make sure you do not produce dust by sanding or scraping as this is very dangerous.

If you leave the work area, remove your work clothing and shoes.

After completing the work, clean the area with a HEPA-standard vacuum cleaner. Wash down the stripped surfaces and flooring nearby, using a detergent. Bag up all clothes and wash them thoroughly, separately from other clothes.

DIY & Children

DIY is a national pastime in this country, so much so that we even watch TV programmes about it. Teams of experts are called in to sort out someone else’s mess – generally because they’ve started it and either didn’t have the skills or couldn’t be bothered to finish it – and now their children live in a building site.

DIY may seem like a jolly hobby to most people, but it really isn’t something to do unless you have a certain amount of knowledge, experience and safety awareness. Every year 70 people are killed carrying out do-it-yourself work and 250,000 are injured – many seriously. Whether you are an experienced enthusiast or a reluctant part-timer, taking a few minutes to plan what’s to be done could mean the difference between tackling a job safely and successfully or courting disaster, especially when there are children around.

Firstly, keep a tool box tidy for easy access and always use the cover guards which come with tools such as saws, knives and chisel blades. If you have your tool box with you, make sure that you lock it as soon as you have found what you are looking for. It will only take you a few seconds, and is the best way to keep curious little hands out of there. In the couple of minutes it takes you to concentrate on the shelf you are putting up, a child can easily get hold of a sharp tool or a handful of screws. For every accident involving a drill, there are ten from small and supposedly ‘harmless’ bits of metal.

If using chemicals, make sure you use what you need to, keeping it as high as possible off the floor while you do so and then lock it away immediately – don’t wait until you have finished the job.

Don’t under-estimate how long a job will take. If you start to run out of time, don’t be tempted to rush or take a short cut like leaving tools lying around or worse, plugged in. Tiredness is a big factor in many accidents, so give yourself a break. If a job is going to take a long time, it might be best to arrange for the children to be elsewhere while you do it as they may well get both bored and curious, which adds pressure to you to speed up.

If you have older children who want to get involved, again, allow plenty of time and don’t get frustrated with them! Equally, make sure they know the rules: Choose the right tools and protective equipment for the job (goggles and gloves are basics here). Don’t wear loose clothing or jewelry and tie back long hair, or put it under a hat.

And remember to keep water away from anything electric – and that includes soft drinks in cans or cups..

If they are older, make sure they read instructions and warnings, especially if they are using a piece of equipment for the first time. Make sure you keep manuals for equipment if you’re buying it new and that you explain the proper use of tools you already have and that they are not toys!

With this in mind, buy equipment and household appliances that are made to a British or European standard or carry an approved product quality and safety mark. There will be a label on the product.

If you have very small children around while you are using electrical equipment, make sure you unplug it between uses and that you use a socket guard (as you probably would do anyway) while the tool is unplugged. Switch sockets off in addition, as they are very tempting for small fingers.

If you are painting, take extra care with old paint. Some old paint could give off harmful dust and pose a poisoning hazard if ingested by small children. You must not burn off old paint or rub it down with dry sandpaper or a power sander; you should clean up properly, using a high efficiency industrial vacuum cleaner with heavy duty filters (you can hire these from most large DIY stores). A free leaflet giving more detailed advice on this topic is available from: PO Box 236, Wetherby, LS23 7NB or by ringing 0870-1226-236 (fax 237)

Basics…

First Aid kit – Have a basic First Aid kit easily accessible and make sure you know what to do wit it’s contents. Have a charged up mobile to hand in case whatever happens puts your phone out of action. If the accident is to do with something that has been swallowed, keep the container close by so you can tell the emergency services what is was.

RCDs (Residual Current Devices) – these can respond to changes in the flow of electric current. For example, when a flex or cable is cut or an electric tool malfunctions, and direct contact is made with a mains supply conductor and earth, the RCD automatically disconnects the power supply to the equipment to reduce the risk of you being electrocuted. Again, your local electrical retailer should be able to give you advice on a range of RCD’s but if you are unsure, ask an electrician to help you out with fitting them.

Ladders – out of bounds for children unless supervised and even then only at a low level. Never allow children to put ladders up themselves as they could lean them on window sills or guttering – the worst places possible.