Ladder injuries

A 2001 retrospective study undertaken on patients presenting to the Emergency Department of the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre in Victoria with injuries as a result of falling from ladders (1994-1997) found:

• 78 per cent of patients were injured in non-occupational settings 
• the mean age of patients was 52 years old
• patients were predominantly male.

Although there were no deaths reported in the study, among the most serious injuries were:

• vertebral column fracture – 16 patients, including 3 with permanent spinal cord injury
• intracranial hemorrhage – 9 cases
• pneumothorax – 5 cases
• skull fracture – 4 cases
• radiological significant pulmonary contusion – 1 case. 

The study found 43 per cent of these accidents were caused by ladder instability. Incorrect placement, unsafe handling and inappropriate conduct during use were also identified as potential risk factors.

The study identified that users can avoid the risk of falling from a ladder by:

• securing the ladder, through either tying the ends or having another person brace it
• avoiding dangerous behaviour, such as over-reaching, carrying excessive loads or deliberately moving the ladder during ascent;
• pitching the ladder at an angle of 70-75 degrees relative to the ground, as recommended by the Occupational Health and Safety guidelines for portable straight ladders

A study undertaken by specialists from the Emergency and Trauma Units at the Royal Adelaide Hospital suggest an increase in recent years in injuries and deaths resulting from ladder falls.

The study suggested the increase may be related to:

• an increase in home DIY television programs which make home renovations look easy
• expense and delays in getting qualified tradespersons to perform work make DIY renovations attractive 
• an increase in the number of bush fire warnings that may induce people to take bushfire prevention measures themselves, such as trimming trees and cleaning gutters.

Although the annual increase in the number of hospital admissions roughly correlated with the rise in popularity of DIY home renovation programs, the study could not identify this as a single cause due to the lack of specific data.