New statistics on DIY home injuries show that 14.5% of Brits have sustained injuries while repairing a home appliance which have had a lasting effect on their health.
The stats show that UK consumers are putting themselves at serious risk when repairing appliances, with 19% of all injuries sustained requiring medical attention.
A survey conducted by appliance repair company Glotech.co.uk showed that despite sustaining injuries, 16% of people are more likely to repair appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers and fridges themselves rather than calling a professional.
Those surveyed stated that the most common reason for attempting a repair themselves was an urgent need of the appliance (42%), wanting to attempt the repair themselves (38%) and a lack of money (34%).
The largest appliances top the list of most common DIY repairs, with washing machines taking first place (48%) followed by ovens (34%), dishwashers (27%) and fridges (25%).
The most common injuries sustained are cuts and gashes (49%), followed by trapped fingers/skin (19%), bruising (17%) and electric shock (14%).
Glotech’s findings also show that women are more likely to attempt a repair themselves without the necessary skills (58%) than men (53%). On the other hand, men are twice as likely as women to conduct repairs while drunk (11%).
When asked what their immediate reaction is to a broken appliance, 41% of respondents said they would attempt the repair themselves, followed by phoning a friend or family member (21%).
“This statistic is extremely worrying”, commented Mikael Anderson, Business Development Manager at Glotech. “If 41% of consumers’ immediate reaction to a fault would be to repair it themselves, they could not only be putting themselves at risk of sustaining a DIY related injury, they could also be repairing the appliance incorrectly, therefore creating a huge safety and fire risk.”
In terms of who consumers would call for help, Dad is the most trusted person to help with appliance breaks down (34%) followed by friend (28%), sibling (15%) and Mum (9%).
Mikael commented: “Although the majority of the injuries don’t appear to be serious, the number of people repairing an appliance is concerning. Consumers must be extremely careful when attempting to repair something like a washing machine themselves, as they could sustain a serious injury. As an appliance repair company, we would suggest that consumers ask a professional for advice or for assistance in fixing their machine, before attempting to solve the issue themselves.”
