WHAT I DO: MORE LADDER SAFETY

I just did my annual holiday post on ladder safety, so why am I double dipping? Running out of material?

No! I’m shocked into reposting the material! Since Christmas I’ve had two friends sustain injuries by means of ladders. I’ve heard from two friends who had friends/family in the hospital, including one who might die…due to ladder accidents. My husband, who treats critically ill patients in the hospital, has recently treated several victims of ladder accidents. He’s a kidney specialist (nephrologist)…. not an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon. For him to be seeing them, means they either have had major bodily, or in many cases, head injuries, which are secondarily resulting in renal failure! We’re fragile and complicated! If I get just one or two of my readers to prevent a ladder injury…it will be a job well done. That’s why I’m doubling up on ladder safety.

I climb ladders with some regularity. I have about a half-dozen ladders, ranging from a one-step stool to an 8-footer. I’m always prepared. Like you, I’m impulsive and don’t like to wait for someone else to take care of something I think I can do. Recently, in the middle of the night, the low battery alarm went off for a smoke detector upstairs. The ceilings upstairs are much lower than downstairs. They’re easily accessible with a four-step ladder we keep handy up there. Last year, I changed them downstairs, with the 8-footer. It was scary, and I decided never to do it again. Going forward, I will hire someone once a year to come change all the batteries. You should do the same.

No matter from what height you fall off a ladder, it’s almost always bad. Worldwide, there are approximately 37 million injuries requiring medical treatment every year. These are just the folks who show up in the ER! It is the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths. And it’s PREVENTABLE! 100%. Not like car accidents. A lot of the time, they’re probably preventable. We’re driving too fast, texting while driving, or tired. But sometimes, it’s truly unpreventable. Someone else falls asleep. Drinks too much. A nail and a blow-out.

We have to drive cars. We don’t have to climb ladders.

What I Do

• Avoid them when I can, and I’m not getting up on the 8-footer. Keeping it, cuz I like my little collection of ladders.
• Wear shoes.
• Have someone by your side…mainly to call 911. Gravity makes it hard to keep someone from the landing.
• If alone, wear some kind of fall detection device or use an app, so when you don’t answer, it will notify 911, and you might be able to avoid lying on the ground for hours. For that matter, while you’re at it, go ahead and unlock your front door, so EMS doesn’t have to bust it open in order to save your life or limb. If that act alone doesn’t make you think twice…then go for it.
• Use the right ladder. It must be tall enough, so ideally, you’ve got structure against your belly and thighs. No standing on the top, or even third-to-top step.
• When possible, load your tools on the ladder’s shelf or top step ahead of time. Or your trusty-fall-prevention helper can assist.
• Make sure your ladder is set on stable ground!! You’re a daisy if you climb a ladder which is propped on moist garden soil. I kid you not. I can’t count the number of patients, including some friends, who sustained grave injuries doing this.
• Plenty of light on the subject.
• Hire a handyman. Now I’m not discounting the lives and limbs of handymen and professionals. I appreciate the heck out of them…and I’m calling one from now on.

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