A New report says People in Britain spend on average eight days a year doing DIY.
But nearly 50 per cent of those questioned said they regularly carry out DIY work without the knowledge or skills needed for the task. And a third were honest enough to say they normally mess up the so-called 'improvements'.
The report says many of the people require the use of proessionals to fix their DIY efforts. Women are the worst offenders and end up forking out an average of £80 each to fix their foul-ups with men spending £37 to make good their own disasters.
According to the report, the top five tasks the nation mucks up the most is headed by replacing floors.
That's followed by fitting an electric shower, putting up a new garden fence, painting and decorating and fixing bathroom leaks.
But it's splashing paint on walls with a brush or roller that the UK sees as its biggest chore, with 20 per cent of those questioned claiming it as their most despised DIY job.
Clearing the gutters came second, with sorting the garden third.
The report also discovered a quarter of blokes have had an accident doing DIY with one in 10 needing hospital treatment for their injury.
With 25 per cent of men either cutting or hurting themselves using a tool, while 7 per cent have fallen off a ladder, 6 per cent were electrocuted and 1 in 20 flooding the room they were working in.
Another 3 per cent fell through a ceiling or floor.
Which just makes you think, maybe it's best to put down that screwdriver today and go out instead!
You mind how you go now!
Monday, 1 September 2008
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Silly accidents
A Missouri man is suing a DIY store after he got stuck to a toilet seat while out shopping.
31 year old Hayword Rosales is seeking £12,500 in damages after pranksters covered the toilet seat in superglue.
Rosales claims he suffered cuts and bruises to his buttock and was off work for weeks.
In a seperate case a West Yorkshire woman is launching legal action against a store after a chain saw she brought from the store severed her hand.
40 year old mother of three Bridget Williams is an avid DIY fan and purchased the £30“Challenge Mitre” to help her put in a new kitchen. She claims she was putting in some kitchen units when the saw suddenly went out of control and ripped through her hand.
Surgeons were able to save the hand and sew it back on but it is now an inch shorter. She is seeking £100,000 in damages from the store.
31 year old Hayword Rosales is seeking £12,500 in damages after pranksters covered the toilet seat in superglue.
Rosales claims he suffered cuts and bruises to his buttock and was off work for weeks.
In a seperate case a West Yorkshire woman is launching legal action against a store after a chain saw she brought from the store severed her hand.
40 year old mother of three Bridget Williams is an avid DIY fan and purchased the £30“Challenge Mitre” to help her put in a new kitchen. She claims she was putting in some kitchen units when the saw suddenly went out of control and ripped through her hand.
Surgeons were able to save the hand and sew it back on but it is now an inch shorter. She is seeking £100,000 in damages from the store.
Monday, 18 August 2008
Vain drivers
A recent report revealed some worrying information, around 3.8million drivers put other road users at risk by not being able to see properly mainly because they think specs make them look ugly.
Unsurprisingly the worst offenders are women, some 14 million female motorists need glasses to meet the legal requirement of reading a car number plate at 70ft.
But one in four regularly drives without them — and one in five has had a crash or close shave within the past year as a result.
Incredibly one in 16 believes they are safe to get behind the wheel despite their poor vision.
The same report also named the most bizarre insurance claims recieved in a single year, so funny in fact that we just had to mention them.
A motorist called his insurance company after a camel kicked his car.
While another said his windscreen was melted by a crashing Harrier jet.
In another case, a car windscreen was shattered by a nut thrown by a squirrel.
One car was dented when a naked pedestrian ran across it for a joke.
And another claim came after a woman put shampoo in her tank thinking it was petrol.
Unsurprisingly the worst offenders are women, some 14 million female motorists need glasses to meet the legal requirement of reading a car number plate at 70ft.
But one in four regularly drives without them — and one in five has had a crash or close shave within the past year as a result.
Incredibly one in 16 believes they are safe to get behind the wheel despite their poor vision.
The same report also named the most bizarre insurance claims recieved in a single year, so funny in fact that we just had to mention them.
A motorist called his insurance company after a camel kicked his car.
While another said his windscreen was melted by a crashing Harrier jet.
In another case, a car windscreen was shattered by a nut thrown by a squirrel.
One car was dented when a naked pedestrian ran across it for a joke.
And another claim came after a woman put shampoo in her tank thinking it was petrol.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Costly kids
Children cause more than 850,000 accidents in the home every year and the resulting damage costs nearly £230 million.
According to new research young children are the number one cause of damage in their households, and are responsible for 42 per cent of all accidents.
It may be surprising to learn that teenagers are not the biggest culprits as far as causing accidents are concerned, they account for just one in five accidents around the home or 250,000 accidents a year. Resulting in £68 million worth of damage.
With the summer holidays in full swing and the usual English summertime weather, school-age children will be in and around the home for most of the day. So parents are being warned to keep an eye on their clumsy kids.
And even those without kids can’t escape the damage they cause, because of the 850,000 accidents last year, 250,000 of them happened in someone else's home while visiting.
According to new research young children are the number one cause of damage in their households, and are responsible for 42 per cent of all accidents.
It may be surprising to learn that teenagers are not the biggest culprits as far as causing accidents are concerned, they account for just one in five accidents around the home or 250,000 accidents a year. Resulting in £68 million worth of damage.
With the summer holidays in full swing and the usual English summertime weather, school-age children will be in and around the home for most of the day. So parents are being warned to keep an eye on their clumsy kids.
And even those without kids can’t escape the damage they cause, because of the 850,000 accidents last year, 250,000 of them happened in someone else's home while visiting.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Texting menace
Doctors in America have warned mobile texters that constant mobile phone use will make them prone to accidents.People who think they can text-message while walking, driving or biking are a public safety hazard, says the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
An increase in injuries and deaths related to distracted texters across the U.S. led the college to issue a warning last week.
In a statement Dr. Linda Lawrence, said:
“Her colleagues across the U.S. are reporting cases among teens and young adults, in particular, who are arriving in emergency departments with serious and sometimes fatal injuries, because they were not paying attention while texting.”
In San Francisco, doctors reported a young woman was killed by a pickup truck earlier this year when she stepped off a curb while texting.
Her death came on the heels of another fatality last year in California, in which a man was struck crossing the road while talking to his wife on his mobile phone.
The warning comes at the same time as The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy announced that up to one in six texters are left in pain because they fire off so many messages.
Symptoms include aches and strains in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said 16 per cent of 16 to 24 year-olds have had TMI or Text Message Injury.
212 million texts a day are now sent in the UK. Up a third on last year.
Monday, 28 July 2008
Flying lawn mowers
DIY chain B&Q has been fined almost £28,000 after a lawnmower was dropped on the head of a worker at its Wednesbury store, knocking her out.
The store admitted a charge under the Health and Safety Act at West Bromwich Magistrates Court after the case was brought by Sandwell Council.
Gary Cook, prosecuting on behalf of the council, told district judge Derek French that on January 31, 2006 staff at the Axletree Way store were asked to replenish stock, in a process called a “stock rumble”.
The court heard two male members of staff were using ‘aircraft’ steps to remove boxed lawnmowers weighing 18kg from middle racking to floor level .
District Judge French was told while this was happening a woman member of staff walked underneath the steps. However, at the same time, while passing the lawnmower down the steps, it slipped, fell and hit her on the side of her head.
“As a result of having being struck by the box she was rendered unconscious and had since had headaches, blackouts and stress-induced pseudo seizures,” said Mr Cook.
Mark Balysz, defending on behalf of B&Q, said since the accident a new risk assessment has been drafted to deal with merchandising activity on aircraft steps.
He said in the past five years, the whole of the company’s 330 stores had only reported seven accidents involving aircraft steps and stock.
“You can be sure that this incident in these circumstances won’t happen at the Wednesbury store again.”
Summing up, district judge French, said: “I accept that B&Q is a responsible employer and indeed I accept the assertion made that they are concerned about the welfare of their employees. However, it seems to me and it seems to be accepted by B&Q that this accident was avoidable.”
Mind how you go now!
The store admitted a charge under the Health and Safety Act at West Bromwich Magistrates Court after the case was brought by Sandwell Council.
Gary Cook, prosecuting on behalf of the council, told district judge Derek French that on January 31, 2006 staff at the Axletree Way store were asked to replenish stock, in a process called a “stock rumble”.
The court heard two male members of staff were using ‘aircraft’ steps to remove boxed lawnmowers weighing 18kg from middle racking to floor level .
District Judge French was told while this was happening a woman member of staff walked underneath the steps. However, at the same time, while passing the lawnmower down the steps, it slipped, fell and hit her on the side of her head.
“As a result of having being struck by the box she was rendered unconscious and had since had headaches, blackouts and stress-induced pseudo seizures,” said Mr Cook.
Mark Balysz, defending on behalf of B&Q, said since the accident a new risk assessment has been drafted to deal with merchandising activity on aircraft steps.
He said in the past five years, the whole of the company’s 330 stores had only reported seven accidents involving aircraft steps and stock.
“You can be sure that this incident in these circumstances won’t happen at the Wednesbury store again.”
Summing up, district judge French, said: “I accept that B&Q is a responsible employer and indeed I accept the assertion made that they are concerned about the welfare of their employees. However, it seems to me and it seems to be accepted by B&Q that this accident was avoidable.”
Mind how you go now!
Monday, 21 July 2008
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