How Dangerous is it Really to Climb a Ladder And When Should you Consider no Longer Doing it?

Ladders: An innocuous home improvement tool we all have lying around our homes. We all use them for chores around the house, usually without giving them a second thought. However, did you know that using a ladder, especially as we age and get a bit more unsteady, can be one of the most dangerous things we can do around our homes? That’s right! How scary is that? Read on to learn some facts about ladder use that will make you second guess pulling your ladder out of the garage and putting it to use ever again:

Statistics Showcasing the Danger of Ladder Use 

The following are some stats from the World Health Organization on ladder accidents and dangers:

• Over 164,000 people in America are treated yearly in the emergency room for ladder-related falls.

• Some 300 deaths are the direct result of falls from ladders each year in the United States.

• On construction sites, ladder falls, not heavy equipment injuries, are the most common cause of death.

• Most falls from ladders aren’t from terribly high heights; they are usually less than 10 feet.

• The number of individuals who have died from ladder falls has tripled in the past decade.

• Falls from ladders, not any other scenarios, are the leading cause of ladder-related injuries, followed by injuries caused by improper ladder use, like being careless when on a ladder.

Other than Outright Falls, What Other Ways Can Ladders Lead to Injuries?

Aside from simply falling off the ladder, there are several other ways to become injured when using a ladder. Case in point, we can all picture the scene in the Chevy Chase classic movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, where Clark is decorating his home and finds himself amid all sorts of ladder-use problems. While that is an exaggerated example (perhaps) for most homeowners, we have all seemed to be there where we nearly injure ourselves or do injure ourselves by misusing a ladder. Here are the most common of those follies:

• Either mounting or dismounting the ladder improperly.
• Failing to set the ladder up properly before use.
• Losing your balance on the ladder when using.
• Mis-stepping while either climbing or descending the ladder.
• Overreaching when using a ladder.

Cleaning Your Gutters no More With Byers LeafGuard Gutters

With all this talk of ladder safety and common mishaps and injuries, it’s important to look at one type of chore that commonly involves ladder use around the house: gutter cleaning. That dreaded act of climbing up a ladder and pulling gunk and leaves out of your gutters once they overflow. Thankfully, there is a solution to ladder use, which you now know is a dangerous proposition, not to mention an unpleasant one. This solution is LeafGuard Gutters installed by our professionals at Byers. This product means you never again have to climb a ladder to clean your gutters. Contact us today to learn more!