Dads beware of lawnmowers and kitchens

Dads might want to give the lawnmower a rest this Father's Day and put the power tools down.

Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) statistics released today showed more than 24,000 people injured themselves using tools at home last year while the lawnmower injury figures averaged out at just over 12 a day.

Men were 60 percent more likely to suffer a fatal injury than women.

The figures showed that there was a home injury every 56 seconds, although there was a drop in injuries from 658,103 in 2008 to 632,920 last year.

One in every eight tool injuries involved a power tool.

The laundry, bathroom and kitchen were the most dangerous place for women while the kitchen was the most dangerous room overall in New Zealand homes - about 130 injuries happened there every day.

People needed to make simple changes to avoid injury, like use non-slip bath mats, make sure glass doors were visible and windows that children could reach were latched and prevent power cords from becoming hazards, ACC advised.

- NZPA