June is National Safety Month, so we’re sharing some tips from the Home Builders Institute to help keep you out of the emergency room:
1. Use a ladder properly. Check for defects and loose or bent rungs before each use. Never carry equipment, materials, or supplies up or down a ladder.
2.Take the correct measures to prevent eye injury. Safety glasses, goggles, or full-face shields should be used whenever there’s a possibility of splashing chemicals or flying dust resulting from sawing, grinding, or windy conditions.

3. Wear a hard hat and gloves, when appropriate. Hard hats or helmets should be worn if there’s a possibility something might fall on your head or you might hit your head. Gloves should be worn when working with chemicals or doing yard work, but should never be used with tools that have a spinning or twisting blade or bit because a glove could get caught.
4. Store power tools properly. All tools should have the battery removed or unplugged, and any bits should also be removed prior to storage. On portable electric saws, the blades should be fully retracted and all guards in place.
5. Clean up your dusty work area thoroughly. Wear an N-95 dust mask (it filters 95 percent of airborne particles), available at any home-improvement store, when using a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting) vacuum and wet mop to clean up dust and debris. Remember that dust particles in sufficient quantity and size can be combustible. 

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