Clocks change tonight, but take care

Silent movie star Harold Lloyd had  trouble with clocks in the hit  film Safety Last!, released...
Silent movie star Harold Lloyd had trouble with clocks in the hit film Safety Last!, released in 1923 PHOTO: ODT FILES
Time flies, but some unlucky people may also find themselves airborne after falling from ladders or chairs while trying to adjust their wall clocks to daylight saving time this weekend.

For some it might be a case of "spring forward, fall back".

After an Otago Daily Times query, the ACC has released statistics showing that 37 "clock" or "daylight saving"-linked injury claims had been made throughout the country on daylight saving change days since 2014.

  • This story was first published 28 September 2019

ACC claimants had mentioned "clock" or "daylight saving" in their injury claims and also specified chair, ladder, or table, among causes.

ACC spokeswoman Liz Evans said that "we can't defini-tively know exactly how many injuries" had resulted and there could have been more.

Otago figures were not immediately available.

University of Otago senior research fellow Rebecca Lilley said people often underestimated the risk of falls and other injuries arising from seemingly low-risk activities at home.

Dr Lilley, of the Otago injury prevention research unit, said falls from heights were very common at home.

Older people, especially those on multiple medications or with balance problems, needed to ask others to adjust their wall clocks for them, she said.

They could also request a free home visit from their area's Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire station to check smoke alarms, Dr Lilley said.

 

By John Gibb

 

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