Skip bins are a great choice for any home renovation or cleanup job on your property. They actually help to keep the area safe as you're less likely to have debris and other tripping hazards when you use a skip bin, but this doesn't mean you should overlook all safety factors when a bin is on your property. Note a few things to keep in mind to ensure that you're using your skip bin safely and keeping your property safe as well.

Avoid homemade ramps and wheelbarrows

One common mistake made by homeowners is to create a homemade ramp and use a wheelbarrow to load debris into the skip bin. This is a surefire way to have the load topple, have the ramp fall, or simply slide backwards off the ramp because the load is too heavy. If you don't get a bin with a door, ask the skip bin rental agency for one with an attached ramp, as these will be more secure than anything homemade. Rather than using a wheelbarrow, have the bin located close to the work area so you don't need to haul debris to it. If you must use a wheelbarrow, only fill it just slightly so it's not very heavy and you can easily push it; it's better to make several safe trips than to try pushing a heavy load and falling off a ramp, potentially injuring yourself.

Take the time to safely load the bin

If you're using a walk-in bin for furniture or other large, bulky items, take the time to load it properly. This means not just tossing those items in haphazardly but actually stacking them safely. If you just toss in furniture, appliances, and even bricks and broken concrete, they may very well topple over and onto you when you walk in with your next load. While you don't need to stack items as if you're protecting them for a move, taking a few minutes to ensure nothing is teetering precariously on its side and that you haven't created unsafe stacks of brick and other materials can keep you safe.

Use extra bracing

Skip bins will usually have strong locks on their caster wheels, or solid "feet" if they don't have wheels, to keep them in place. However, you might use extra bracing if the bin is on a slight hill, or if you're tossing items into the bin from a distance as this can cause it to start moving even when locked in place. Put a few heavy bricks around the perimeter of the bin, tucked up near the feet, to keep it from rolling away or sliding downhill.