Did you know that according to ACC statistics during the last Easter holidays 11,077 kiwis hurt themselves at home?
In fact, home is one of the most high-risk places for sustaining an injury. Whether it’s a back strain, shoulder injury or even worse… a fall and potentially a bone fracture it’s more likely to happen at home than most other places.
Why? Perhaps because home is where we spend a lot of our time. We may chose to engage in a DIY project and underestimate the complexity of the task. Or perhaps fail to consider the safety precautions. Such as using ladder to reach ceiling or roof.
Another reason could be that we tend to feel safe and secure at home. This may give us a false sense of security assuming that whatever we get up to at home… we’ll be fine
So here are a few simple tips from ACC you can follow this Easter to minimise the risk of hurting yourself:
Here’s a few tips to ensure you stay safe at home:
1) The best way to stay safe while doing DIY is to be realistic about your ability – if you can’t do it, get an expert in.
2) Plan your day so you’re not rushing to get finished in the evening when you’re tired and more likely to slip up.
3) If you’re going to use hire equipment, make sure you have the appropriate safety gear such as closed shoes, ear muffs, safety glasses and face masks.
4) Falling off ladders can lead to serious injuries. Last Easter there were 142 ladder-related claims; two-thirds of them from falls. Make sure you use a safe, stable ladder; always keep three points of contact (both feet and one hand) with the ladder, and don’t be tempted to over-reach sideways. It’s much safer to get down, move your ladder, and then resume your work.
Enjoy your Easter and stay safe!
If you do want us to check out a niggle or injury you may have feel free to give us a call on 09-5328942 to book a FREE Assessment session at either our Howick or Pakuranga branch.
Team at Growing Younger Physiotherapy Group