Wellington - Christmas gifts of things like power tools to New Zealanders, who are dedicated do-it-yourself home handymen, lead thousands of them to hospital, a newspaper reported on Friday. The Accident Compensation Corporation received about 10,000 claims for DIY injuries last year, of which about 2,000 were classified as moderate to serious, the New Zealand Herald reported.
"And in the couple of weeks after Christmas, there's thousands of them," spokesman Laurie Edwards told the paper.
"They'll be trying out a new saw or a new power-staple gun and next thing you know they are in the A&E (Accident & Emergency Department) with a nail through their arm. Or worse, one of the kids is there," he said.
Edwards said it was crucial to read instruction books, particularly when handling new power tools, but added, "blokes are notoriously bad at reading manuals."
He said New Zealand's DIY toll included nearly 30,000 people injured by falling off ladders each year and handymen who had attached their hands to their eyes when using industrial strength super glue.
