DIY disasters 'blamed' on TV stars

Changing Rooms: The experts make it look "too easy"

DIY enthusiasts are being injured and even killed, after being led into over-ambitious projects by television make-over programmes, the UK government has said.

Ministers believe that programmes like Changing Rooms and Better Homes are encouraging people to take on jobs which are beyond their abilities.

And they say that more victims could be added to the toll over the Easter weekend, when many people will tackle projects around the home.

New figures from the Department of Trade and Industry show that around 70 people are killed and 250,000 injured each year in DIY accidents.

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Officials in the department are so concerned they have produced two million safety leaflets to be given away to customers at DIY stores.

Consumer Affairs Minister Kim Howells said the television programmes can make projects appear too simple.

"I think when people watch these programme they assume it is very easy and think that they can do things as easily as the experts," he said.

"But even with a simple job such as putting a screw in, people are always puncturing themselves screwdrivers.

Falling off ladders

"One of the problems is that people are always over-reaching themselves - it looks easy on the TV and they assume the job is not going to take as long as it actually is."

Dr Howells added: "The bottom line is that 70 people are killed and a quarter of a million injured and these figures are increasing year on year.

"Most of the deaths are caused from falling off ladders, or through electrocution, when people do not use a circuit breaker while mowing the lawn or using a hand drill."

Kim Howells: Don't spend Easter in casualty

A survey carried out for the government by Mori showed that the average consumer could spot only five out of 11 potential safety hazards on a stepladder.

And knowledge of residual current devices and circuit breakers was even worse, with more than half of consumers polled having no idea what they were.

Dr Howells said: "If just a fraction of the DIY fanatics out there read the leaflet, it might save some lives or reduce lengthy waits in casualty departments over the holiday period."

The government action comes as one leading DIY chain predicts that around 26m people could be indulging in home projects over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The survey by B&Q also reveals that 58% of men questioned, and 30% of women, claimed to have regularly undertaken DIY projects in the past year.