Tips for do-it-yourselfers

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers advice and information on its Web site (www.cpsc.gov) for do-it-yourselfers. Here is a sample:

● Don't mix ladders, overhead wires

The agency said that each year between 2000 and 2003, 17 people died from electrical shock when a ladder came into contact with electrical wires at a home. Even a wooden ladder can be dangerous close to power lines because it might have metal reinforcement wires which can conduct electricity.

According to the commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the estimated number of injuries involving ladders and stools in 2009 in the United States and its territories was 246,733. Of those victims, 220,115 were treated at hospitals, while 26,585 were admitted to hospitals or died.

● Nail guns empower

The agency acknowledges that nail guns are popular because they get the job done quickly.

However, nail guns can cause injuries just as quickly. Many occur when work practices are unsafe, the user holds his finger on the contact trigger, when the gun is accidentally fired, or when nails become airborne, go through a work surface, or ricochet.

In 2007, ABC News reported that in 1991 about 4,200 people were injured in home-based jobs where nail guns were used. In 2005, that figure jumped to 14,800.

Resources for homeowners in the Toledo area include the Toledo Housing Court Web site -- http://bit.ly/rlOwe5 -- which guides homeowners who are taking on a project themselves or who are looking to hire a contractor to do repairs for them. The homeowners resources page provides a number of helpful tips.