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DIY tips and tricks are everywhere online, and the hashtag #diyhacks has over 600 million views on TikTok, but an expert has warned that some of these shortcuts could potentially lead to injury.
Below, experts at IronmongeryDirect, have picked out four popular DIY hacks that could be dangerous.
1.) Using soldering irons for metalwork
Soldering irons are useful when it comes to metalwork, but creating and using your own version of the tool can be dangerous for many reasons. The main reason is that, even with professional tools in a controlled environment, soldering can lead to toxic fumes and burns. The risk of this increases significantly if you use your own homemade device.
As well as this, the lack of a specifically designed and tested handle means exposing yourself to significant temperatures, leading to burns.
2.) Making DIY drill attachments
Drills and other similar power tools are very effective at doing the jobs they are designed for, so some have taken to using them to speed up other tasks. Most commonly, people have been known to attach cleaning utensils to the end of a power drill.
Not only can these attachments interfere with the mechanism of the drill itself, causing damage to the tool, or causing shocks and fires, but they can also damage the very object you’re trying to fix or clean. With the force of the tool, pieces of fixtures can be thrown in the air and cause injury.
3.) Using improvised drill bits
Just about any metal object can be sharpened and used as a drill bit, and many people have been sharing videos of such ‘hacks’ on social media, however this is generally a bad idea.
One video suggested sharpening a standard house key to use a makeshift drill bit. However, this is not only dangerous, as placing foreign objects in a power drill can cause damage to both the environment and the user, but it can possibly cause the drill to malfunction.
Using improvised drill bits may not properly attach screws and fixings, so they may not be secure enough to support any structural elements of a project, which can have dangerous consequences.
4.) Lack of personal protective equipment
It’s important that whatever DIY people do, they are adequately protected against potential risks. Many videos show homeowners using potentially dangerous tools and creating debris, or being in close contact with blades without being appropriately protected.
This includes using Hole Saws, Band Saws and Belt Sanders, as well as contact with hot glue. A whole host of injuries can occur when performing tasks such as these, including burns, cuts, eye injuries and in the most severe cases, loss of digits.
For more information about the risks involved in certain DIY projects, click here.
