280,000 reasons for spotlight on home falls this week

National Media Release
Monday 1 October 2012

280,000 reasons for spotlight on home falls this week

Today marks the start of ‘Home Safety Action Week 2012’, and ACC is asking Kiwis to fight five common hazards to reduce the risk of injury at home.

Injuries in and around the home are the biggest cause of ACC claims – accounting for over 40% of all new claims received in 2011. Over 280,000 home injuries happened because of falls.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just older and younger people who fall at home. Last year, over 40% of all home falls happened to people aged 25-64 years.

Injuries to people in this age bracket can have far-reaching consequences – because of the important roles they play in their families, the community and the workforce.

“These are people who are home-makers, bread winners and members of New Zealand’s workforce,” says John Beaglehole, ACC’s General Manager, Insurance and Prevention Services. “So an injury at home can have a huge impact on their family, their employer and the economy.”

This is why ACC is asking everyone to take the following steps this week to fight five common hazards in the home:

• remove moss from paths
• secure power cords
• fasten rugs and mats
• avoid using chairs as ladders
• wipe up spills.

“If you asked people to describe the most dangerous hazards in their house, things like unfastened mats or a power cord across the floor wouldn’t necessarily spring to mind,” says John. “But the fact is they cause a lot of injuries.”

John says there’s tremendous community support for Home Safety Action Week 2012.

“This year, ACC has teamed up with well over one thousand businesses, schools, community groups and government agencies, who are helping us share the safety message with their customers and staff.

“It’s great to see so many getting behind this initiative, and encouraging Kiwis to take some simple actions that will keep them out of harm’s way and out of trouble.”

ACC’s Home Safety Action Week 2012 coincides with ‘Safety 2012, the World Conference’ – an international gathering of injury prevention experts in Wellington.

-ENDS-

Falls and home injuries – some key statistics

• Over 630,000 injuries in or around the home in 2011
• Cost of home-related injuries in 2011 was $520 million
• 280,000 claims for falls in or around the home in 2011
• Cost of fall-related injuries in or around the home in 2011 was $272 million
• 25-64 year-olds make up over 40% of all home falls (115,000 claims) and 60% of costs
• Cost of falls for 25-64 year-olds in 2011 was $160 million ($67 million in weekly compensation for injury-related loss of earnings)
• Almost 10,000 people were off work for more than a week as a result of home falls in 2011
• Over 2,500 people were off work for more than 3 months as a result of home falls in 2011

Tips on how to “fight five for safety”

Remove Moss
• Waterblast, scrub or spray mossy areas with moss removal products
• Cut trees and shrubs back to prevent shade – conditions which moss thrives in
• Build new decks with grooved timber

Secure Power Cords
• Get cords out of harm’s way, with cord clips, quick-release power cords or multi-boxes
• Secure loose cords or wires to the wall

Fasten Rugs and Mats
• Secure them with anti-slip tape, or spray on a non-slip coating
• Use carpet grips for mats
• Repair damaged carpet on stairs
• If you’re buying a new rug, look for one with a non-slip backing

Avoid Using Chairs as Ladders
• Use a ladder or step ladder to reach high objects
• Store heavy, regularly used objects down lower
• Use long-life smoke alarms and light bulbs so you don’t have to change them often

Wipe up Spills
• Wipe up spills as soon as they happen, with mops, sponges or cloths
• Use floor mats to absorb excess water
• If renovating, install non-slip flooring in wet rooms (bathroom, kitchen and laundry)

Trends

• You’re more likely to fall on weekends, holidays and in the summer months – all times when people are likely to spend more time at home
• Rain and poor lighting increase your chances of falling in and around the home

Tips on home safety
• Visit www.homesafety.co.nz

Follow us on Twitter
• https://twitter.com/NZhomesafety.

Fall victim case studies and interview opportunities
Three victims of home injuries are happy to share their stories about their accident, their injury and how it affected them - see case studies below. To arrange interviews, please contact Glenn Donovan as per contact details below.

Case studies

Lyn Turner, Wellington

“I don’t ever want to feel as helpless again as I did after my fall,” says Lyn.

On a sunny August afternoon, keen gardener Lyn Turner was heading for her rose bed. But thanks to a mossy path, she never made it – and ended up in a hospital bed instead.

After slipping on the moss, Lyn spent a week in hospital, where she needed surgery for smashed ankle bones. She was off work for three months after her injury, and when she first got back home, she was completely immobile.

At first, her husband took time off from his job to look after her. Then, when he had to return to work, Lyn moved in with her 70-plus mother, who cared for her until she was back on her feet.

As for the moss, it met its end thanks to a water blaster and some moss-killing spray. “We now get out every winter and blast that moss,” says Lynn “and the water blaster gets handed around our family so all their paths and driveways are moss-free too.”

Sarah Holley, Stratford

“People just don’t think about the small things that can bring them down.”

Those are the words of Sarah Holley, who can’t believe the impact that tripping over a power cord has had on her life.

After her foot caught on the power cable of her laptop as she got up from the couch, Sarah tore a ligament in her knee, sustaining nerve damage as well.

The injury completely changed Sarah’s life, because it suddenly meant she wasn’t able to do everyday things she’d taken for granted, such as walk, drive or go to the movies. It also meant she had to go from working full-time to part-time, and move to a new house with no stairs.

Having experienced first-hand the impact of an accident in the home, Sarah has become a staunch advocate of the need to pay more attention to safety.

There isn’t a single power cable in sight in her new home – they’re all hidden or tucked away. And if she’s out and sees an exposed power cord, she’s likely to say “Hey, that’s not safe – you need to move it.”

Cheryl Barber, Wellington

“My surgeon said it was the type of injury usually suffered by trick motorcyclists who fall from a massive height – but it happened from a simple trip in the bedroom.”

Real estate agent Cheryl Barber was walking to her bedroom to turn on the electric blanket, when she tripped on a rug.

“It was an old prayer rug I’d had for years that my dog had chewed as a puppy. So it was frayed, and when my heel boot caught in the threads, suddenly I was on the floor.”

Cheryl says she knew immediately that she’d done something terrible. “The pain was so intense, I just screamed,” she says.

An MRI scan revealed a fracture and ripped tendons in her right arm. The impact of the fall also forced the arm out of its socket, severely damaging even the bone marrow.

“You just don’t think about the dangers until they become real,” says Cheryl, who now thinks about avoiding injury a lot.

“I was at the supermarket and noticed that an entrance mat had flicked up and was an accident waiting to happen. I mentioned it to a staff member then, when I saw it was still there, to the manager. As I was talking to the manager, sure enough someone came along and tripped on it. Luckily, they didn’t fall, but they could have!”
ends

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