Northlanders losing their balance around the home was the number one cause of thousands of lost days of productivity in the region in the past reported financial year.
More than 414,541 days of productivity were lost in Northland in 2012-13, according to the latest ACC injury comparison reports.
The reports provide communities across the country with a comprehensive picture of local injury rates and trends, and are designed to help prioritise and plan local injury prevention initiatives. The Northland ACC injury claim rate was slightly above the national average and had trended downwards over the past five years. The most common injuries in Northland occurred at home, and at more than $28 million, they were also the most expensive.
Loss of balance was the most common cause of accidents, while walking, running, sport, and recreation were the most common pre-accident activities.
ACC spokesman Glenn Donovan said about 700,000 injuries nationwide happened in the home each year, and of those about 290,000 resulted from falls.