Preventing falls this summer

Time off work for many means time to relax at home with family and friends. Many New Zealanders also get started on those DIY and gardening projects you have been putting off. Here are a few safety tips to help ensure your time at home doesn’t end badly.

Christmas tips

• Use a ladder or step ladder to hang decorations not a chair or worse still a chair balanced on a table.
• Check your Christmas lights are in good condition before you hang them up.
• Ensure your Christmas tree has a sturdy base to stop it toppling over.
• If you’re putting lights outside, make sure you use a Residual Current Device (RCD).

Having people over

• If you have extra people in the house, try to avoid clutter and keep things out of people’s way.
• Remove any unsecured rugs or small items of furniture which people may fall over.
• The kitchen is always busy. Keep cupboard and oven doors closed so people don’t walk into them and hurt themselves.
• If you have people staying with you make sure they know where the light switches are if they get up in the night, or leave a hall light on.
• Pack away mattresses and fold away beds during the day so people don’t trip over them.
• Keep pets out from under people’s feet. Believe it or not, a significant number of people fall over a pet in New Zealand every year.

Hosting tips

As the end of the year approaches, many people will be thinking about organising parties. Christmas is a time for celebrating but it can also be a time when people drink too much and hurt themselves. Planning the part alcohol plays at your party will help to ensure your friends and family are safe.

• Provide substantial food early on and keep it coming throughout the party.
• Plan activities so drinking isn’t the focus of the party.
• If people are drinking, don’t keep topping up half-full glasses.
• Provide a range of interesting non-alcoholic drinks – orange juice can become boring after a while.
• If someone refuses a drink, don’t push it.
• Look after young people around alcohol.
• Don’t let people drive home when they’ve been drinking – arrange safe transport home or organise somewhere for them to stay.

For more ideas on hosting great parties, visit ALAC’s Ease Up On The Drink website.

Heading away on holiday

People often fall when they’re in a house they’re not familiar with. Here are a few simple precautions to help keep you and your family safe while you’re away this summer.

• Keep a torch beside your bed in case you have to get up in the night or make sure you leave a light on in the hall.
• Always turn on the light when going up or down stairs at night.
• Summer holidays often involve swimming and water play. Wipe up any spills or puddles caused by wet togs and showers as soon as they happen.
• If you’re lucky enough to be staying somewhere with a swimming pool, remember to actively supervise children at all times.
• Inspect barbeques for cracks in hoses, wear, major rusting, loose connections or leaks before use.

Ladder safety tips

• Check your ladder before using it. Never use a ladder with missing, broken or loose parts – it’s just not worth the risk.
• When setting up a ladder, make sure it is on a firm, even surface. The best advice is to secure the base of the ladder.
• Always keep three points of contact when climbing a ladder (for example, two feet and a hand) and never over-reach sideways.
• Ladders are not designed as working platforms. For big jobs such as painting walls, consider using scaffolding or hire a professional.

For more ladder tips, visit ACC’s website.

DIY safety tips

• Check the area you’re working in is clear of clutter and hazards, including unstable or slippery surfaces.
• When using power tools, always keep the safety guards in place and make sure you wear closed shoes, preferably non-slip boots.
• If you’re building a deck, grooved timber provides grip, or add sand to your deck paint.
• Beware of dust, fumes, gases and smoke. Make sure your work area is well-ventilated and wear the right sort of respiratory protection.

For more DIY safety tips, visit ACC’s website.

Gardening safety tips

• When cutting back bushes, make sure your footing is stable and do not operate tools above shoulder height.
• If you’re carrying garden rubbish, make sure you can see where you’re going, it’s easy to trip and fall.
• When pruning high tree branches, use a secured ladder or ask someone to hold the ladder steady.
• Sprinklers and hoses can make paths and steps slippery. Take extra care if you’ve been watering the garden.