Practice Safety in Your Attic, and Keep it Safe

The attic is the least safe place in your home. You can run into nails, bang your head on a rafter or cross-beam, get electrocuted, fall through the ceiling or even blow up yourself along with the rest of your house if you don not know what you are doing. There are safety measures to take that can prevent any of this happening in the first place. Some of the things you can do will keep you from hurting yourself as well as knowing how to identify dangers in your attic.

One of the very first things you will want, even if you are not a construction worker, is a safety helmet. You can pick one of these up at your local building supply stores such as Lowe's, Home Depot, or Ace Hardware. You may even find a safety helmet at Wal-Mart. This helmet will protect your from nails protruding out from cross-beams, rafters, the roof above you, and anywhere else you may come across in your attic. You could also prevent yourself from getting a concussion from banging your head into something. A safety helmet could save your life.

The next item you will want is a pair of gloves. Rubber or cloth gloves will be okay, but see if you can afford electrician's gloves just to be on the safe side. That way if you accidentally or intentionally grab hold of a live wire and do not know it you will not electrocute yourself in the attic. You can also be electrocuted from a coaxial cable if the insulation around the copper center is broken or torn off in any way. If you see bare copper wires, DO NOT TOUCH THEM. These may be improper installation for ground wiring in your home.

Safety glasses are also recommended when entering the attic especially when you may not know if there is asbestos in the insulation or roofing above. In conjunction with that you will want a face respirator mask to prevent from inhaling any asbestos in your attic.