New Zealand / Health

ACC pushes for reining in the silly this season

06:28 am on 25 December 2017

'Tis the season to be jolly, but ACC is also asking Christmas revellers to use a little common sense to ensure they don't put themselves or others at risk.

Photo: 123RF

Last year 3500 Christmas-related claims were made to ACC. Chief customer officer Mike Tully said most claims tended to come from falls.

"It's not necessarily falls just for the elderly, it's right across the spectrum of New Zealanders.

"At Christmas, it's the Christmas tree, the Christmas lights, the Christmas presents, tend to throw a few surprises at us."

Some of the claims related to Christmas trees, which can be surprisingly hazardous, with many accidents caused by insecure trees falling, forcing pets and children "to run for their lives".

People also hurt themselves while trying to put up lights and other decorations.

"So, people over-reaching, falling into the tree, or the tree losing balance and everybody falling over."

Mr Tully advised the use of a ladder when decorating a tall Christmas tree.

Thankfully, trends suggest New Zealanders are becoming more conscious of Christmas safety, with claims involving Christmas lights dropping from 61 to 48 from 2015 and 2016 and Christmas presents had dropped from 28-20.

By far the largest number of claims involved Christmas trees, with accident claims dropping from 217 in 2015 to 137 in 2016, although Mr Tully said that probably reflected the price of a tree, rather than improved awareness.

"Have you seen the price of those things? I think people are making do with a bit more home-made activity and the likes."

Other common claims included people rushing to pick up their present too quickly, prompting claims for back strain.

Cork injuries were also common, as were dog bites, nips and scratches.

"So dogs and kids getting overly excited. We still haven't worked out if it's the dog or the child who's biting or getting bitten, but that's going on," he said.

Cutting cheese, getting the hang of riding a new bike and injuries from jumping on beds, mattresses and couches, were also common.

Mr Tully also said people needed to remember that while Christmas was a time to celebrate and be together, they also needed to be conscious of how much people were drinking.

"The main thing is people looking after one another and looking after their mates," he said.

"Making sure people are drinking plenty of water, eating the food that someone has spent a long time getting ready and just taking general care and consideration around that. It certainly means we can reduce the risk of injury at this time," he said.

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