Seven out of ten DIY enthusiasts will return to work after the long weekend suffering from an injury – sustained whilst carrying out home improvements. A study carried out among 2,000 adults found around eight in ten Brits got stuck into DIY jobs around the house this weekend, with painting and decorating the most common tasks to be tackled.
Muscle pain, injuries from tools and bumps and bruises from the bashing of limbs against walls, door and other objects are the most likely causes of injury, the study found.
But it also emerged a handful of unfortunate DIYers will suffer more serious injuries such as splashes of chemicals in the eyes, falls from ladders or even electric shocks.
The study shows that as soon as a Bank Holiday comes around many Brits who are not necessarily experienced at DIY are eager to crack on with all those niggling jobs.
DIY expert Grant James Crossley, who worked on the project with the makers of Deep Heat and Deep Freeze, said:
“There may be no escaping DIY but so many don’t seem to realize that DIY can be a great form of exercise, and like most strenuous exercise there is a need to warm-up.”
The study also found seven out of ten people confirmed that they, or their partner, had hurt themselves doing DIY or decorating.
And two out of five said they had put their back out or were left suffering spinal aches and pains.
More than a third (38%) admitted they ached after overdoing it and one in five had cut themselves.
A significant number of hapless handymen and women even know where they’re going wrong – one in ten said they failed to follow instructions or research the right way to do the job, while one in five came to grief taking a short-cut.
Foolhardy men are 29% more likely to attempt to cut corners, and even though all painters and decorators know preparation is the key to a perfect finish, DIYers are not taking the same care with themselves; more than a third confessed they hadn’t prepared their bodies for the physical demands of their day of DIY.
A similar number (30%) admitted they weren’t used to physical work or were too out of shape (34%) for hard graft.
In all, almost three out of five said their fitness levels were below par with one in seven confessing their couch potato status by confirming they were both overweight and out of condition.
