Whether you own a brand new home, or you are working on an older home, there will be a time you will need to have a tradesperson enter your home to install new appliances, equipment, or make repairs.
You may be thrilled to have them, because plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other skilled tradespeople are necessary to repair your home to run smoothly.
Have you ever considered what would happen if one of the tradespeople working to repair your home gets injured? It is something you need to consider.
Here are some things you need to consider before remodeling your home.
Who Is Most At-Risk?
The most at-risk individuals for injuries are general contractors, according to researchers, followed by construction supervisors, roofing contractors, electricians, and plumbers. These occupations carry some risk because of the nature of the work.
According to Goidel and Siegel, a pair of construction accident lawyers in NYC, “it doesn’t matter what trade you need help with, you need to protect yourself by having the proper insurance on your property just in case there is ever an accident”.
Plumbers
Plumbers may be at risk of a slip and fall injury because they work directly with water. While plumbers wear shoes and equipment to protect them, the action of water on slippery floors may make a plumber slip.
Slip and fall injuries are the most common injuries that occur to plumbers on the job–whether they are working on new construction or existing homes.
Plumbers are also at risk of suffocation because they often work in trenches around homes or businesses. If you need to hire a plumber, here are some tips to keep in mind.
- Ask the plumber if they prefer the water to be shut off when they are working, to prevent slip and fall injuries. You may want to have rubber mats in place around the work area as well.
- Ask the plumber if you need to also shut off your electricity if the plumber will be working around an outlet or an electrical source.
- If trenchwork is needed, make sure the plumber has the equipment to ensure their safety if they are working in a trench.
Electrician
Electricians are as much at-risk at your home as plumbers are. In fact, injuries to electricians due to electric problems can be just as serious, if not more serious, than injuries to plumbers.
Electricians who are working to repair your home can receive electrical burns, shock, and lacerations from working. They can also be subject to slip and fall injuries. If you are going to have electricians working to repair your home, you can take the following precautions.
- Unplug appliances in the room where the electrician is working.
- Be sure the lamps and light fixtures have the proper wattage bulbs in them.
- If you have damaged extension cords, or cords running under carpet or rugs, they need to be removed.
- Ask the electrician if you need to shut off the electricity and water.
Appliance Repairs
One of the most common reasons tradespeople are in your home is to repair large appliances such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, and dishwashers.
Appliance repair technicians may suffer from slip and fall injuries because nearly all large appliances have a water feature. Also, technicians can have electrical injuries as well, because the appliances are all connected with electricity. They may have lacerations to their bodies from pieces of metal from appliances.
Another common reason appliance repair technicians are injured in homes is because they need to move an appliance to repair it. They may suffer from back, arm, leg, or hip injuries if the appliance is too heavy.
Lower back injuries can last for years and cost thousands of dollars in medical bills. If you are going to have an appliance repair technician come to your house. You need to take steps to make sure the technician is safe.
- Ask the technician if they have a hand truck to move heavy appliances. If they don’t, you can rent one for very little money to have at the house.
- Ask the technician if you need to turn off the electricity so they can work on an appliance.
- Ask if you need to shut off the water because of the work the technician will be doing.
- If there are sharp edges on your appliances, you need to warn the technician before the repairs begin.
Be Sure That the Repair Man Have Insurance Coverage
Before you have any tradespeople in to repair your home, you need to check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. While some policies cover technicians, electricians, contractors, or plumbers working in your home, others do not.
You can also ask your tradesperson if they have insurance coverage for damage or injuries. By keeping a few tips in mind, the problems with your home you can fix, and everyone will stay safe.
