Accident and emergency units were expected to be busy over the Easter holiday as new research showed that millions would be injuring themselves getting down to DIY jobs.
The poll of 2,000 people by pain relief brands Deep Heat and Deep Freeze found that 68% had hurt themselves doing odd DIY jobs or decorating.
Two in five had injured their back, one in five had cut themselves and one in 10 had suffered after inhaling chemical fumes. One in 30 had also managed to get paint or chemicals in their eyes and eight in 100 had fallen off a ladder. Three per cent had given themselves an electric shock.
However, quite a few of the DIY enthusiasts admitted that they had been at fault, saying they had failed to follow instructions or research the right way to do the job, or taken a shortcut.