I was in the garage, using an extension ladder to put crap up in the rafter storage. My wife said, as she was going out the door, “be careful you don’t fall off the ladder.” I said Oh, pshaw…that stuff never happens to me.
As I was falling, in the .1 seconds before I fell 5 feet and hit the concrete flat on my back, I thought Oh crap, I’m falling; my wife was right; and this is going to be ugly.
I’d made it to 61 years of age without ever breaking anything; riding in an ambulance; spending the night in a hospital; or having a CT scan. Checked all those boxes in one day.
2 lumbar and 1 cervical fracture. It could have been a hell of a lot worse – I didn’t hit my head; my spinal column was never in danger; and no surgery was needed. The treatment is 6-8 weeks in a back brace and rigid neck collar; and Norco as needed.
That’s the thing – she didn’t say, “don’t go up that ladder.” She just said, “don’t fall off.” I get advice like that sometimes, and I’m never sure what to do with it. Of course I wasn’t intending to fall off but for the person advising me not to.
You’re lucky that your spinal cord wasn’t damaged. It’s going to feel like a long time in a body brace. Don’t be a he-man, take those pain-killers as needed! Get well soon!
Glad you didn’t hurt yourself in the worst way, though what you describe sounds like no fun. Hoping for your speedy recovery!
I’ve worked in industrial settings my whole career. I initially scoffed at the first place I worked that mandated that everyone more than 4 ft off the ground wear a full harness. But I’ve seen enough people injured, and badly, from falls that don’t sound that high. A previous plant even had a poor guy die after a fall from moderate height.
Be really, really careful when you’re off the ground. Take more precautions than you think you need. Gravity doesn’t really care how smart or skilled you think you are.
Pickings are a little slim this year, I’m afraid. We can let you have proportional strength of a ladder, or proportional intelligence of a garage floor.
Ladders are familiar and familiarity can breed lack of care. They are actually fairly deadly: 43% of all fatal falls involve a ladder. [INDENT][INDENT] In 2011, work-related ladder fall injuries (LFIs) resulted in 113 fatalities (0.09 per 100,000 full-time equivalent* [FTE] workers), an estimated 15,460 nonfatal injuries reported by employers that involved ≥1 days away from work (DAFW), and an estimated 34,000 nonfatal injuries treated in EDs. [Emergency Departments] [/INDENT][/INDENT] Occupational Ladder Fall Injuries — United States, 2011
Safety Tips! This website gives somewhat different accident stats. http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/ladder-safety/
[INDENT][INDENT]According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 50% of all ladder-related accidents were due to individuals carrying items as they climbed. …
While using a ladder always maintain 3 points of contact with the ladder to ensure stability. Also, never attempt to reach for something while on the ladder. It is much safer to get off the ladder, move it, and then climb back up. [/INDENT][/INDENT]
Glad you’re doing relatively well, jsc1953. Ouch!
My dad is 64, and he’s fallen off ladders twice in the past year or so. Probably would have broken his neck this last time if he didn’t already have a plate in it from degeneration :-/ He either bruised or broke some ribs though. No doubt his balance/agility is off due to a smaller range of motion in his neck.
I am going to start a campaign, Concerned Daughters Against Spotter-less Ladder Climbing. Next time you go up, ask for help!
Anyway, glad you’re still here with us able to type. Speedy recovery!
I know a guy who chose Fourth of July weekend to do repairs on his roof. His wife was traveling, so she wasn’t there to object. After the work was done, he stepped back to look at the repair, and landed flat on his back on the ground.
He laid quietly for a bit, assuming he was mortally injured. Then he tried yelling for help, but nobody was around to hear. Eventually he tried wiggling toes and moving fingers. Finally, he stood up. Not a scratch. He told me the story, but never told his wife.
I’m 63 and a bachelor, so I don’t have a lot of choice in the matter. Oh, for roof work and such I’m well-enough off to hire work, but for changing air filters and lights (have a 9.5’ ceiling with chandaliers (sp), well, it’s up the old 4-stepper–and yes, I have come close twice in the past year to losing my balance.
And it truth, it scares me a bit, since nearest family is 400 miles away and why I get along fine with the neighbors, they would think nothing of not seeing me for several days…
Have thought about getting one of those emergency systems that you can contact if you have an accident. Not yet, but it is in the back of my mind.
Get well soon jsc and let us know how you’re doing.
