Safe Work Practices for Landlords and Contractors

For hard working landlords and contractors building "sweat equity", adopting safe work practices can make all the difference when it comes to preventing accidents and serious injuries.

As a former safety engineer in the construction industry, I've had plenty of experience and responsibility with keeping workers safe while performing hazardous work. Safety cannot be taken for granted.

If you believe there's never enough time or money in your budget to set-up and work safely, then accidents and injury will surely take place - it's just a matter of time. The old saying that states "it's better to be safe than sorry" is wise advice because it's always too late after an accident happens to realize that it could have easily been prevented. Safe work practices should always be made a top priority.

Let's take a look at some of the more hazardous kinds of work that landlords and contractors might perform on rental property and the safe work practices that are needed to do these jobs. I hate to sound gloomy, but the truth is that adopting these safe work practices could prevent someone from being seriously injured or killed.

1. Working with Electricity

• Always turn off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse in the electric distribution box whenever working on an electric circuit. If you are not sure which circuit breaker or fuse is connected to the circuit that you're about to work on, then open the "main circuit breaker" or fuse box disconnect switch. This will turn off the power to all circuits. This is the most important safe work practice when working on home electrical systems.
• Use an electrical tester to verify that power has been turned off on a circuit before working on it. Also, place a "DANGER - ELECTRIC SYSTEM IS BEING WORKED ON - LEAVE POWER OFF" warning note on the electric distribution panel. This will make people aware of the situation and prevent someone from accidentally turning on the power while you're working on it.
• Never stand in wet or damp areas while working with electricity. You can get electrocuted.
• Never "ground yourself" by coming into contact with wet or metallic objects while working with or near electricity. This is extremely dangerous and will lead to shock or electrocution. Always make sure the materials you touch and stand on are highly "insulated" to prevent a path for electricity from traveling through your body and causing electrocution. This is another extremely important safe work practice when dealing with electricity.
• Place all wire connections in junction boxes and use wire nuts and electrical tape where needed.
• Make sure electric switches and power outlets (receptacles) have cover plates on them to prevent their live connections from being exposed.

2. Working with Hand and Power Tools

• Always wear eye protection (safety glasses) and ear protection. The loud, high- pitched noise of power tools, especially indoors, can cause gradual hearing loss that builds-up over time.
• Protect your hands from splinters and other types of injury with work gloves.
• Use "insulated" power tools to prevent electric shock.
• Extension cords should be heavy duty, grounded and free from damage. Also, power cords should be plugged into ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets to prevent electrocution.
• Never stand in water while using electric power tools - the risk of electrocution is great.
• Work from a balanced and stable footing while operating power tools and watch out for sudden "kick-back" of the tool or work piece.

3. Working on Ladders and Roofs

• Make sure ladder is placed on a firm, level footing and is at the correct angle. The correct angle is found by standing straight with your foot at the ladder's base and extending your arm straight out parallel to the ground. If your fingertips can just touch the ladder rail while the ladder is in place, then the ladder is installed at the correct angle. If not, adjust the ladder's position to make this happen.
• Be aware at all times of overhead electric lines and keep a safe distance away from them. In addition, it's always better to use a fiberglass or wooden ladder instead of an aluminum ladder. Aluminum is a great conductor of electricity - this makes it more dangerous than fiberglass or wood which are insulators.
• Never extend too far to one side when working on a ladder - it could slide over and you could easily fall off.
• Make sure the ladder rungs are not wet and you have proper work shoes with slip resistant soles.
• The ladder should extend "three rungs" above the roof (or roof gutter) and be tied off at the top to secure it to the building. This will make getting on and off the roof much easier and safer.
• If possible, have a spotter on the ground "foot" the ladder and hold it secure while you get on and off the roof.
• Sweep loose sand off shingles and wear slip resistant work shoes while working on a roof. Also, the use of roof jacks will make working on pitched roofs much easier and safer.
• When working on flat roofs, place rope barriers or railings a safe distance inboard from the roof's entire perimeter. If you must work near the edge such that an accidental fall would be greater than six feet, then make sure you are tied off properly with OSHA approved fall arresting gear.

4. General Safe Work Practices and Safety Tips

• When soldering or working with heat, make sure any nearby combustible materials are shielded from the heat and always have water or a fire extinguisher nearby to put out any accidental fires that may result.
• Keep your back straight and use your legs when lifting - this will prevent debilitating back strain and injury.
• Place "caution tape" and hazard signs around work zones to warn people of dangerous conditions and keep them away.
• Cover all open excavations when work is not in progress to prevent people from falling in and suffering injury.
• Wear a hard hat if falling or flying debris is a hazard, and
• Wear a dust mask or respirator to protect your lungs when working in a dusty environment.

So, we've just covered some of the more important "cardinal rules" of safe work practices. They'll definitely improve your personal safety and those of others working on your property. In the end, your health, welfare, and bottom-line will certainly benefit from the time and effort that it takes to work smart and safely.

For more in-depth information about rental property repair and safe work practices, please visit The Landlord's Library book collection. It's a terrific, one-stop source for practical, comprehensive information on the entire subject of residential landlording.

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