Hey you on the ladder: Put the drill down and no one gets hurt
I used to think there was nothing sexier than seeing my husband walk through the house with a tool kit and ladder. Not anymore — not since I saw a report about how many home improvement projects land DIYers in the emergency room. Now I like to see professionals walking through my house doing home projects, because that means DC is not at risk of losing any critical body parts.
According to a new study from Clearsurance, an online insurance site, home improvement injuries resulted in nearly 300,000 trips to the emergency room in 2020, a record high.
I share this news with DC to talk him off any future ladders.
“Do those numbers include injured pride?” he wants to know.
“If it did, every neighborhood would need a MASH unit,” I said.
Here are more of the report's findings, which are based on figures from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Home improvement injuries accounted for 3% of all ER injury visits in the United States, or 290,599 trips to the emergency room in 2020; 8% of those patients were injured seriously enough to be admitted. Fingers were by far the most injured body part (117,026), followed by hands (37,308) and eyeballs (34,827).
Lacerations led to 127,486 ER visits, followed by fractures at 35,917. And collectively, power tools — from workshop table saws to cordless drills — were involved in more than onethird of all injuries, followed closely by manual
tools (hammers, screwdrivers and other tools you don't plug in).
In a nutshell: You want the sense to take on the home improvements and repairs you should do yourself, the humility to hire someone else when you should, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Here's a clue. Before you tackle a project on your own, answer this question: Injuries (and other bad outcomes) happen when a) we do something we're not qualified to do, b) we don't have the right equipment or protective gear, c) we are being cheap, d) all of the above.
To avoid becoming part of the next report's statistics, here's what Laura Adams, an insurance analyst for Clearsurance, recommends:
KNOW YOUR LIMITS » This can be humbling, especially for those with an ego involved, but it's important to be realistic. So go ahead and paint the bookcase, but if the project involves working on a metal extension ladder outside in the rain with power tools, consider calling a licensed professional.
GET A QUOTE » Before deciding to do the job on your own, get a quote first just for comparison. “It may be less than you think
and worth the price in the long run,” Adams said. Have you priced the cost of an ER visit lately?
GET THE RIGHT TOOLS »
The cost of the right tools might pay for a handyman who already has the right tools (and knows how to use them). If you do forge ahead, read the instructions first. Duh.
DRESS FOR THE JOB » Wear safety goggles. Wear sturdy shoes that cover your whole foot in case you step on a nail or drop a can of paint on your toe. Don't wear anything that could get caught in equipment.
CONFIRM YOUR COVERAGES » In the event you or someone helping you gets hurt, you will want to have current health insurance, of course, but also homeowner's insurance, which may kick in to cover others. When you hire professionals, ask to see a copy of their certificate of insurance.
CHECK YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHER » Know where it is and be sure it's up to date.
DON’T WORK ALONE » Those most likely to get in trouble are the independent types who tend to tackle projects alone.