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Christmas wrapping paper, Christmas trees and soccer all contributed to Christmas Day injuries last year, ACC says.
Photo: 123rf
Every year, people who enjoyed Christmas Day came to the harvest and were injured, ACC said.
Last year, nearly 4,000 people were injured on December 25, costing the country about $ 4 million.
Among the Christmas Day injuries reported last year, about 20 involved wrapping paper and 113 people reported injuries related to Christmas trees and decorations.
ACC injury prevention leader Kirsten Malpas said: “That could be anything from the tree falling on them to using something other than the best device to get up and put the lights on the tree, so not a ladder or anything like that, but maybe a wobbly stool. “
“The mind gets bogged down,” Malpas said, talking about how people could hurt themselves with wrapping paper.
By far the most common injury on Christmas Day was falls; Last year, nearly 60,000 people reported injuries from falls, and 24,400 of them were at home.
Malpas said that with family members crammed into the houses, many people enjoying drinks and trying new gifts, the houses were riddled with tripping hazards.
Extension cords were a particular risk because they were often placed along hallways temporarily to power appliances that were used while guests were visiting.
Another big injury risk factor for Christmas Day and the holiday season was that people suddenly increased their activity level and injured themselves.
Time off from work and gathering with friends and family meant dusty sports teams were pulled out of the shed and people returned to doing activities they hadn’t done all year.
Water sports, soccer and cycling accounted for many of the recreational and sports injuries at this time, Malpas said.
“People get their shiny new Christmas present, which can be a bicycle or a kayak or something like that, and there are people who take off.
“I think soccer [a common injury factor as it’s] one of those sports where people only have the ball in the backyard or on the beach, so it’s a little more casual, with a lot of people; you don’t need a team to have a little fun.
“And there are a lot of people across the country who have bikes and they say ‘this is the year I’m going to ride my bike and go out,’ and a lot of people buy bikes for Christmas, so you make the kids learn to ride.”
Overall, Malpas said there had been a notable increase in the number of e-bike injuries as e-bikes have become more common.
“With … electric bikes, you potentially had someone who learned to ride a bike as a kid, and then at 50, they say ‘I’m going to buy an electric bike,’ which is great, but there’s quite a bit of time. between them learning the basics and the road environment has changed. “
A bicycle helmet was an important necessity for all cyclists, not an optional extra, and a dose of caution with new toys and summer activities was the best way to make the most of the season, Malpas said.
“Evaluate your capacity a bit, so you don’t overdo it.
“Particularly at this time of year, and even more so with Covid, I think people are much more tired heading into this Christmas than perhaps in the past, and we know that fatigue is a factor in many injuries.”
Malpas said summer was a good time to increase activity levels again, but slowly, with pace and lots of stretching.
