In all my years in construction, I only had one fall on a ladder. I say “on”, because both the ladder and I came down together, with both of us landing on a piece of machinery. Pretty sure I cracked a rib. Otherwise, I’ve always been very careful about setting up and using ladders, never going above the safety step, always making sure it’s on a firm, level surface and that all interlocks are in place. I’m much more leery of step-stools, as you have to rely solely on your aging balance mechanism much of the time.
That said, my days of climbing a 30’ extension ladder are long over. I now have a six-foot stepladder, which is as high as I care to go. I also have a 12’ telescoping ladder, which I seldom deploy. One of my kids took a fall a few years ago when cleaning out his gutters. He didn’t brace the bottom and was working by himself. The bottom kicked out and down he came, breaking his forearm. Luckily, everything else was just bruises.
I work at a government safety agency. While the agency’s authority only covers certain highly technical working locations, we do see a certain number of ladder-related safety incidents. A few highlights:
[ul]
[li]Someone circulated a photo of an aluminum ladder standing in a swimming-pool-like basin of water. Above was a single light socket hanging down, as if someone had been trying to change a light bulb while standing on metal in three feet of water, but been interrupted somehow.[/li][li]One incident involved someone using a cutting torch to cut a pipe projecting out of a wall. The worker stood on a ladder about eight feet up and cut the pipe flush with the wall. Said pipe then fell straight down – onto a piece of plywood innocently leaning against the wall. The angled plywood deflected the pipe away from the wall – straight into the ladder’s bottom, kicking it out from under the worker, who plunged onto concrete while holding a live cutting torch. I did not see any details about the injuries, but in the post-accident photo, there’s a large discolored area of concrete that appears to be a bloodstain the size of a bathroom throw rug.[/li][li]A lone independent contractor was outside painting a building during extreme heat. He came inside for a while, complaining of heat and feeling dizzy, but as he was not sweating,* he was sent back out. They eventually found his body at the foot of his ladder.[/li][/ul]
*Lack of sweating is one of the elements used to diagnose heatstroke
Maybe next week I’ll regale you with new topic, Laser Eye Accidents.
My retired friend seems to have an unhealthy obsession with painting his house, and his kids houses.
He is 73, but not decrepit elderly. He runs and goes to the gym every day and looks like those shirtless muscle guys in the “Miracle Pill!” adds.
So, he is always up on extension ladder touching up the trim, etc. Until a few months ago, that is, when he fell off the ladder. It wasn’t “falling off” exactly. His foot slipped on the rung and down he slid, bouncing his face along the way.