How dangerous are ladders?
Are you a fan of danger and heights? Then stop reading this and go buy a ladder. If you’re a fan of standing upright on your own power, and generally continuing to live please read on to consider the risks of using ladders when you’re alone and/or not particularly experienced. Each year, more than 500,000 Americans are treated for ladder-related injuries. More than 97% of these incidents occurred in non-occupational settings; by homeowners working on their own homes. More than 300 die from these injuries.
Some of the most common causes for ladder accidents are:
Missing a Step / Rung: If you only climb a ladder a few times a year — let alone far less — it’s incredibly easy to get caught up in what you’re doing and miss a step, especially if you’re nervous. Falling this way can get your limbs stuck between the rungs on your way down, exacerbating your injuries.
Reaching or Leaning: It’s so tempting to reach for that extra inch and save the hassle of moving your ladder, but this is an easy recipe for a stumble and fall — and once again, anxiety or inexperience in maintaining your balance at height great exacerbates this risk. High quality extension tools can greatly cut down this risk.
Wrong Size Ladder: Many homeowners own just one ladder, if any, and it’s often the foldable or “do-it-all” types. Trying to make a ladder that’s too short reach higher or using a ladder that’s far too big at an angle that’s too shallow, is a straight path to serious problems. It’s also far better to use an appropriately graded extension ladder with a standoff and pronged feet, to protect the gutters and to provide much greater stability.
Unlevel or Soft Ground: Many homes have graded yards which can make your ladder lean dramatically without proper leveling equipment. Sometimes, people try to stack wood or bricks to make up the difference with disastrous consequences. Wet decks or soft ground can also cause your ladder to lean or fall. Most of the time, the lean won’t happen until your mass passes a precipice — near the top, too late.
So why is Done Gutter any different? No one using a ladder can eliminate the risks entirely, but proper training, setup, and experience makes a massive difference. With years of experience, we have every step memorized and operate calmy even at great height. We’ve seen every kind of ladder placement out there and know how to identify wet ground, slick surfaces, and other safety hazards. We know to watch the weather, and never hesitate to delay work when unsafe winds or wetness is around. We have a huge range of equipment on hand too, including ladders of multiple sizes and leveling equipment. We also use extension tools that minimize the number of times we need to move or climb the ladder in the first place. As silly it sounds, we’re trained to do this, and we actively work to minimize our risk exposure. Our workers are all protected by full worker’s compensation insurance too, just in case. Knock on wood, but we have yet to have an incident in over 10 years of constant ladder usage. Why risk your health and mobility over a couple hundred bucks at the most? Be safe and let us — or another professional — step up for you.
CITATIONS:
5 Most Common Causes of Ladder Incidents - ANSI Blog
500,000 falls from ladders annually; 97 percent occur at home or on farms | 2017-07-06 | ISHN
