Conference told of gruesome injury statistics

Conference told of gruesome injury statistics

Injury Prevention Network of Aotearoa New Zealand
Media release 7 October 2009

Note to editors: regional home injury information is included at the end of this release.

Kiwis’ reputation for being laid-back ‘do-it-yourselfers’ comes with an atrocious personal injury cost, a conference in Auckland was told today.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey told the Injury Prevention Network of Aotearoa New Zealand Conference at Hoani Waititi Marae that New Zealanders are among the worst in the world when it comes to killing or injuring themselves.

“Every week, thousands of us use hammers, knives and nail guns with little thought for personal safety. And 11 of us die every week from accidents in the home. An average 573 people are killed each year and thousands more are injured. It’s an appalling set of numbers.

“Accidents in the home cost communities $642 million a year, and if we include all accidents, the figure rises to a staggering $4 billion.”

However, Mr Harvey said the true toll of personal injury is much more gut-wrenching.

“If I kill myself doing some DIY project at home, my granddaughter has lost her granddad. My children have lost their father and my wife has lost her husband.

“That pain and grieving strikes 11 Kiwi families every week.”

The Injury Prevention Network of Aotearoa New Zealand (IPNANZ), has played a key role in supporting the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy which was developed in 2003 as a Government response to New Zealand’s high rates of injuries.

IPNANZ Director Valerie Norton said the conference was for the various bodies and individuals working in injury prevention to share information about how to work with the Strategy and bring the number of injuries down.

“This isn't about wrapping people up in cotton wool or denying that reasonable risk is a part of life. It’s about helping New Zealanders take simple steps that could help them avoid the incredible physical and emotional pain that results from accidental injury or death.”

Ms Norton said safety in the home would be a major focus of the conference, but that presentations would also cover vehicle crashes, self-harm, falls workplace injuries, assault and drowning, which are all identified as priority areas in the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy.

The conference will be held from 7-9 October at Hoani Waititi Marae in Waitakere. Approximately 100 delegates will attend from a wide range of government and non-government organisations including: ACC, district health boards, Age Concern, the NZ Fire Service, Safekids and Watersafe NZ.

ENDS

For more information about the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy, see: www.nzips.govt.nz/strategy.

Home injury facts (http://www.homesafety.co.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleId=70):

• A New Zealander is injured in the home every 48 seconds

• 573 New Zealanders were killed from home injuries last year, compared to 360 killed in car crashes

• Slips, trips and falls make up nearly half of all home accidents

• More than 650,000 New Zealanders are injured at home each year – compared to around 36,000 on the road, 280,000 on the sports field and 210,000 at work

• More than 30,000 injuries occur each year on stairs or steps

• 40% of New Zealand households have dangerously hot water

• There is a house fire in New Zealand every three hours

• 4,000 home injuries are caused by people falling off ladders each year

• 80,000 injuries a year are caused by people falling on drives, paths and patios.

Home injury facts by region for last year (http://www.homesafety.co.nz/Articles.aspx):

• Ashburton: six deaths and more than 3,000 home injuries costing $3.5 million.

• Auckland: 128 deaths and more than 136,000 home injuries costing $119 million.

• Bay of Plenty: 45 deaths and more than 46,000 home injuries costing $48.5 million

• Buller: more than 1,100 home injuries costing $1.3 million

• Canterbury: 73 deaths and more than 81,000 home injuries costing $80 million

• Gisborne: 797 home injuries costing more than $2 million

• Grey District six deaths and more than 3,000 home injuries costing $3.5 million

• Hawke’s Bay: 40 deaths and more than 32,000 home injuries costing $30 million

• Manukau: 7 deaths and more than 23,000 home injuries costing $22 million

• Marlborough: 11 deaths and more than 4,500 home injuries costing $6 million

• Nelson: 7 deaths and more than 7,000 home injuries costing $7.3 million

• Northland: 35 deaths and more than 32,000 home injuries costing $31 million

• Otago: 27 deaths and more than 29,000 home injuries costing $28.5 million

• Rotorua: 11 deaths and more than 9,000 home injuries costing $13 million

• Southland: 10 deaths and more than 8,000 home injuries costing $13 million

• Taranaki: 16 deaths and more than 4,500 home injuries costing $5.5 million

• Timaru: 5 deaths and more than 32,000 home injuries costing $30 million

• Waikato: 53 deaths and more than 75,000 home injuries costing $74 million

• Waitaki: more than 1,600 home injuries costing $2 million

• Wanganui: 8 deaths and more than 8,000 home injuries costing $8 million

• Wellington: 55 deaths and more than 58,000 home injuries costing $61.5 million.

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