Hospital data shows the most common DIY-related injuries across Victoria
Wannabe renovators are seriously harming themselves doing home improvement projects. We reveal the little-known cause of many serious injuries, while a trauma specialist has revealed the vital safety measure too many forget.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thousands of wannabe renovators have seriously injured themselves while doing home improvement projects with some of the worst cases resulting in severed fingers and toes.
Figures Leader News obtained from the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit show 2870 people were admitted to hospital with home maintenance and DIY-related injuries, between July 2017 and June last year.
Falls from ladders were the most common causes of serious injury – a trend experts call the “silent epidemic” – followed by power saws and grinders.
Other injuries were caused by falls from or through roofs, verandas, windows and balconies, along with power drills and nail guns.
Melbourne’s most populous area Casey topped the list, with 185 people admitted for DIY-related injuries, followed by 147 in Greater Geelong.
Mornington Peninsula (125 hospital admissions), Whittlesea (112), Yarra Ranges (109) and Hume (108) were also hot spots.
Almost half of hospital admissions were due to fractures (1327), 538 were open wounds while an unlucky 93 home renovators suffered “traumatic amputations” such as severed fingers or toes.
Eighty per cent of patients were men, and almost half of the people admitted were aged 50-74.
Alfred Health Senior Clinical Trauma Research Fellow Helen Ackland said ladder falls were becoming increasingly common and could cause injuries ranging from fractures to life-changing injuries – even death.
“Most people think climbing a ladder is a benign thing but we see very serious cases resulting from falls and about 10-12 people die from ladder fall-related injuries each year,” she said.
“Even minor injuries could leave you with chronic pain.”
Dr Ackland said people should wear helmets when climbing ladders to prevent traumatic brain injury.
“We get mixed responses from people saying ‘that’s ridiculous’ when we talk about wearing helmets but we know that motorbike helmets have helped prevent a significant number of head injuries in crashes,” she said.
She also advised people to ensure their ladder was set up properly on the ground, inspect it for any damage – particularly deterioration of any plastic parts – and enlist someone to hold it steady during use.
‘IT FELT LIKE A CAR CRASH’
He’d only wanted to change a light bulb.
But Gary Mann’s split-second decision – asking the mate footing his ladder to step away and flick the light switch – changed the electrician’s life.
The ladder slipped on the polished concrete floor and Mr Mann remembers every second of the 6m fall.
“It felt like a car crash, I landed on one of the rails and had to spin myself off it just to be able to breathe,” he said.
Mr Mann broke six ribs, smashed his left shoulder, snapped an elbow and had internal injuries and spent two weeks in ICU and the trauma ward at The Alfred.
“The most important thing is that I didn’t hit my head,” he said.
Only now – two years later – does he feel like he is recovering.
“I was on very heavy opioids for months for pain management – they turned me into a zombie, making life very difficult for those around me (and) coming off the medication was very difficult,” he said.
MORE: POLICE PROBE INTO FOOTBALL CLUB’S USE OF FUNDS
‘TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT’: HOONS BOAST OF RECKLESS EXPLOITS
MELBOURNE’S MOST CONGESTED ROADS FOR THE SCHOOL RUN
“It was also tough coming to terms with the fact I couldn’t speed up the recovery.”
Mr Mann echoed Dr Ackland’s advice about wearing helmets and said he always wore one when using ladders now.
He also advised people to take a few minutes to check the ladder was stable and safe before ascending.
“There are so many people who die or are seriously injured by ladder falls but it just goes under the radar – I call it the silent epidemic,” he said.
Hospital admissions for DIY-related injuries July 2017-June 2019
1. Casey – 185
2. Greater Geelong – 147
3. Mornington Peninsula – 125
4. Whittlesea – 112
5. Yarra Ranges – 109
6. Hume – 108
7. Frankston – 104
8. Brimbank – 97
9. Monash – 90
10. Kingston – 85
Most common causes of injury
1. Fall on & from ladder – 1,476 hospital admissions
2. Contact with powered saw – 403
3. Contact with powered grinder – 243
4. Fall from roof – 187
5. Fall from veranda or balcony – 122
6. Fall from out of or through other specified building or structure – 120
7. Fall from or through roof – 111
8. Contact with power drill – 80
9. Contact with powered nail gun – 63
10. Fall out of or through window – 43