It's more dangerous indoors than on the roads in New Zealand

Sep 9, 2010, 11:05 GMT

Wellington - It's more dangerous indoors than on the roads in New Zealand, according to statistics released to mark a home safety campaign by the national Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

A total of 621 New Zealanders died last year as a result of accidents in the home, compared with 384 deaths in road crashes.

About 12 people are killed in accidents at home every week - most of them through falling down stairs or off ladders, tripping over or slipping on polished floors.

The nation of nearly 4.4 million people saw 632,920 people injured in their own homes last year with slips, trips and falls accounting for four-out-of-10 claims to the ACC, a national no-faults injury compensation agency.

A total of 5,400 people were injured while using a ladder at home - 104 every week or 15 a day, ACC Minister Nick Smith said, launching the campaign.

He urged homeowners to properly secure ladders when clearing their gutters of leaves, for instance, and to take simple safety precautions like remembering to turn on a light when using stairs.

More than 600 people a week are injured falling down stairs in their homes.

New Zealanders are renowned for being among the world's biggest drinkers and Keith McLea, ACC's general manager of injury prevention, said that alcohol was a contributing factor in nearly a quarter of all claims.

'Drinking alcohol significantly increases your risk of being injured,' he said. 'As 70 per cent of drinking occasions happen at home, it's fair to assume that alcohol contributes to a significant number of home injuries. 'Drinking alcohol makes people particularly vulnerable to falls.'

The ACC said one simple change in habit would help keep people safe in their homes. For instance, wearing non-slip shoes indoors would minimise slips, trips and falls.

Using non-slip mats in the bath and shower would reduce the 17,000 accidents in bathrooms every year while adding stickers or a frosted panel to plain glass doors and windows would reduce the 133 cases a week of children who are badly cut running through them.

Forty per cent of homes are said to have dangerously hot water and getting a plumber to turn it down to a maximum of 55 degrees at the tap would prevent crippling scalds.