Why Ladders Are So Dangerous!

Are you thinking about getting up on some ladders and cleaning your own windows, instead of hiring a trained and experienced professional?

Please be careful.

Did you know that a fall of as little as 3 feet can cause you serious harm?

You could possibly even fracture a bone, like the unsuspecting and unfortunate person who’s replacement hip is shown in the x-ray above!

What impact would it have on your family if you broke a bone because you took an unnecessary risk and fell off your ladder?

What impact would it have on your job?

How long would you have to endure pain? Are you good with pain?

Take it from someone who broke both his tibia and fibula in a split-second: It’s a horrible experience.

In my case, I was nineteen years old, and I broke it in a freak diving board accident. Ask me about it sometime, I’ll fill you in. (I’ll even let you feel the 4 screwheads that are part of the permanent stainless steel fixtures in my tibia!)

Since then, I’ve been probably the most careful ladder user in the Greater Toronto area, and I train all our team members at Paneless Perfection to exercise obsessive care in ascending and descending them when we come to service your property.

“We should treat ladders as dangerous”

Lara Trifiletti, Ph.D., a researcher with the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio, along with colleagues, examined federal statistics on nonfatal ladder injuries that sent people to emergency rooms.

Ninety-seven percent of those cases happened in what Trifiletti calls “non-occupational” settings like homes.

“Maybe a lot of people are doing do-it-yourself home repairs,” Trifiletti said. “That may be one explanation why we see such a high rate in homes.”

What to do? “Most people like to think of a ladder as a fairly benign piece of equipment, but the injuries that result are very serious,” Trifiletti said. “We should treat ladders like a potentially dangerous tool, like a power saw or razor-sharp plane.”

Michael Mello, M.D., director of Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital, said the findings appear to be valid. According to him, ladder injuries should not be taken lightly.

“Many of these fractures are very complex and require extensive surgery. That’s only part of the problem. These fractures of hands, wrists, ankles and feet can require future surgeries, rehab and lifelong arthritis or chronic pain,” he said. “I see patients frequently who are still bothered by pain from complex fractures after falls many years ago.”

Ouch.

Your broken bones aren’t worth any price.

Leave the ladder work to the experts at Paneless Perfection.

We’ll make it easy for you.