Easter will soon be upon us. The Easter Holidays are like having two weekends in a row. Four days to really attack that home maintenance project you have been putting off.
Some of us may think we are handier than we are. Easter (and Christmas) time see a rise in accidents because the proper precautions are not taken. There are falls from ladders, power tool accidents, and whipper snipper accidents (never use your whipper snipper when you are wearing thongs).
ITC thought it was a good time to remind people to be careful when undertaking maintenance work. Last year ITC saw this post on the North Shore Local Area Command Facebook page.
Fall from Roof – Lane Cove North
About 12:10pm on Saturday 5th March a 63 year old male was performing tree maintenance work from the roof of a property located on Elizabeth Parade, Lane Cove North . The 63 year old male walked on the roof towards the rear of the house and has stepped onto a corrugated iron sheet located on an attached veranda. He has then stepped onto a rusted section of the sheeting, causing it to give way, at which time he has then fallen approximately 1 – 2 metres onto concrete below. The male has landed on his back as a result of the accident. A witness at the location has contacted an ambulance and police, who have both attended a short time later.
It was suspected that the male may have had several fractured ribs and a possible fracture to the back, as a result, he was transported to Royal North Shore Hospital for treatment.
SAFETY TIP: This is a timely reminder to ensure you take all safety precautions when carrying out maintenance at home. In some circumstances it may be a better option to have a qualified tradesman carryout it out for you.
Do not get a case of Shakes and Ladders. Shows like the Block, Better Homes & Gardens and the Living Room have a lot to answer for. Recent research has highlighted a common source of injury in Australia – ladder accidents, with middle-aged home handymen the most common victims. The majority of home maintenance related injuries happen to males between 45 and 64 years of age. Home maintenance tasks and gardening (including picking fruit and pruning) made up the bulk of the accidents outside the workplace.
The ITC home has a skylight covered with bird poop. Mr ITC wanted to clean it. He was told that he should not climb on the roof and that ITC would ring a home handyman. Mr ITC was true to his word, he did not go on the roof. However one day ITC was standing under the skylight in the kitchen when she looked up and saw Mr ITC’s best friend on the roof cleaning the skylight. ITC was not impressed but Mr ITC was happy as he had kept his word. It all worked out well, but it could have been a disaster, as he was not wearing a harness or any other safety gear (unless thongs have been passed by Standards Australia as appropriate home maintenance footwear).
It’s not just the incorrect use of ladders that causes injury; sometimes a home handyman will venture into home plumbing or electrical work. Master Electricians Australia (MEA) have urged keen DIY-ers to leave all electrical work to the professionals when they’re doing home handy work so as not to jeopardise the safety of their family to cut costs.
The CEO of Master Electrician Australia Mr Richards said “This Easter holiday may seem like a good chance to accomplish some much-needed house alterations but home owners need to remember the importance of safety over saving a few dollars. Electrical work should never be carried out in a DIY project no matter how capable you think you are or how much you think you know. Our research has shown that one in five homes have an electrical fault as a result of homeowners carrying out unlicensed DIY electrical work.
So please, this Easter think twice about home maintenance. If it looks like a job for the professionals, then contact a professional for a quote. We want to see you safe and sound and enjoying Lane Cove – we love bumping into you in the Plaza.
Home Maintenance People To Contact
Home Maintenance:
Home Maintenance and Wood Working: M J K Woodworking
Electrical Work: See our list of local electricians here
Plumbing: See our list of local plumbers here
Landscaping, Gardening, Rendering and Carpentry:
Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]
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