Tips for prevention

Tyrol: When spring cleaning ends in hospital

Do not use a chair as a climbing aid when cleaning.

(Bild: Jürgen Radspieler)

Every year, 2000 Tyroleans are injured while cleaning their homes. Women are most affected because men are less likely to reach for the mop and co. The months of March and April are particularly dangerous. The Austrian Road Safety Board provides tips for prevention.

Did you use the spring weekend for spring cleaning? If not, you should be careful when sprucing up your windows and other rooms in the near future. According to the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV), spring cleaning work is particularly dangerous. "In the first two months of March and April, around 3800 people across Austria suffer such serious household injuries that they have to be treated as inpatients or outpatients in hospital. That's an average of 62 people per day," the experts warn.

Over the course of the whole year, as many as 25,000 Austrians have accidents while doing household chores. In Tyrol, around 2000 people have to be treated in hospital every year.

Most falls are caused by tripping over carpets, cables or other objects.

Das Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit

Because men hardly ever clean: Women more frequently affected
At 75 percent, women are most frequently affected by accidents when cleaning at home. "However, this does not mean that men are more skilled, but that household cleaning is probably still carried out much more frequently by women than by men," emphasizes the KFV. When it comes to the cause of accidents, falls are at the top of the list at 65 percent. "Most of them are caused by tripping over carpets, cables or other objects." Falls down stairs or from ladders or armchairs can be particularly serious. "The reason for this is often distraction, hecticness and carelessness," says doctor Johanna Trauner-Karner.

2000 Tyroleans, especially Tyrolean women, have to be admitted to hospital every year due to an accident at home.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Kronen Zeitung)

Tips to prevent accidents from happening
The list of the most common types of injury is as follows: 52 percent broken bones, 17 percent open wounds and ten percent bruises. The experts also give tips on prevention:

• Allow sufficient time and take breaks.
• Do not use chairs or tables as a climbing aid.
• Do not mix cleaning agents due to chemical reactions.
• Remove tripping hazards such as loose cables and carpets.

• Use a telescopic style for window cleaning. And never climb onto the windowsill!
• Wear appropriate clothing when cleaning.
• Only open the window that is being cleaned and keep children away.