Falling From A Ladder – It’s Preventable

A True Story

My friend Bill has been a carpenter most of his life.  Although not a safety fanatic, he is careful.  Not today though. 

 Bill was in a rush because he’d promised his wife he’d be home early.  He had one last thing to do on an all-day roof repair job and he was running late.   Bill moved his ladder without taking the time to set it properly.

 Stuffing a dozen nails between his teeth where they’d be easy to reach, Bill grabbed his hammer and scampered up the ladder.  He’d just reached the top when the unsteady ladder gave way and Bill fell 18 feet onto the hard ground below.

 Bill was lucky – no broken bones.  Tragically though, the nails in his mouth were driven through his cheek when he hit the ground.  The incautious carpenter spent the next 8 hours in a hospital emergency ward, and left with 11 stitches to his face and a scar for life.

Falling From a Ladder is a Common Mishap

Bill’s story is not unusual.  Approximately 10,000 Ontarians end up in a hospital emergency ward each year after falling from a ladder.

Most often, the victim is a male between the ages 45-64 who falls while doing home repairs.

Women are not immune to ladder falls either, tallying almost 20% of the resulting emergency ward visits.

Common injuries include broken limbs, damage to the pelvis, back or abdomen, or injuries to the head or neck.  In more serious cases, concussions or paralysis result in permanent damage.

10 Things to Prevent A Fall From A Ladder

Equipment

  • Use a CSA-approved ladder with no defects such as missing or broken rungs, loose screws or cracks.
  • Ladder rungs should be dry and free of mud, wet paint or grease.

Set Up

  • Place the ladder in an unobstructed location, away from unlocked doors.
  • The base of the ladder should be on level ground or levelled in a secure manner using stable blocking.
  • The distance from the feet of an extension ladder to the wall should be no more than 1/4 – 1/3 of the height of the wall it is reaching.
  • If the ladder has locking mechanisms, engage these when opening

Use

  • Wear slip-resistant shoes, free of grease, oil or other substances
  • Always face the ladder when climbing
  • When using a step-ladder do not stand higher than the 2nd rung from the top; for an extension ladder, no higher than the 4th rung from the top
  • Do not overreach – if your belt buckle crosses either side of the ladder, it’s time to go down and move the ladder.