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About ladders
Ladders are a common piece of equipment used around the home in DIY projects such as gutter cleaning and putting up decorations.
Ladders are available in a variety of heights and materials.
There are 2 main types of ladders:
- A-frame ladders – look like the letter A when set up, and support themselves. They are also called step ladders
- extension ladders – rest on a support so they’re on an angle and gravity holds them up.
Risks and injuries from the product
If the ladder isn’t in good condition or is used in an unsafe way, falls can occur and cause fractured limbs, spinal cord damage, severe brain injury or death.
On average more than 30 Australians, mainly men, die each year after falling from a ladder.
Most men injured or killed after falling from a ladder were at or nearing retirement.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that in the 2 years of 2021 and 2022:
- 66 people died in ladder accidents
- 97% of deaths were men.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that in the year ended 30 June 2022:
- more than 6,200 people were hospitalised due to ladder falls, of this, nearly 80% were men
- 40% of people hospitalised were 65 years or older
- nearly 80% of people hospitalised were 45 years or older.
Watch a video on the impacts of ladder-related falls
To help educate consumers on the dangers that ladders can pose, Dr Owen Roodenburg, Deputy Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, witnesses first-hand the impacts of ladder-related falls.
Watch Dr Roodenburg explain the serious impacts of a ladder fall.
Video transcript
TEXT: Ladder safety matters
PAUL: I'd been out painting all day. I had one section to do.
VISION: A slow panning shot of an unpainted section of a house.
PAUL: I didn't stabilise the ladder enough. I just had two weatherboards to go and they were up the top. By that time I was tired, my glasses were dirty. I was leaning over, rather than going down the ladder, move the ladder and going back up again.
VISION: A close-up shot of one rung of a metal ladder. We then cut to a shot of various DIY tools including paint scrapers, brushes, and glue.
PAUL: I just reached out to try and sand the last bit. That's when the ladder became unstable, and I fell. I landed with a great thud on concrete. I hit my head. I was in a lot of pain, particularly back pain. I got some fractured ribs, a pneumothorax - that's like an opening on the lung.
VISION: Paul walks down his hallway and retrieves a pair of trimmers from among the tools on the table.
PAUL: I was a nurse for 32 years. I've seen injuries from lesser trauma - paraplegia, quadriplegia - it was my worry that I'd done something really bad.
VISION: Paul emerges from his house and walks towards a shrub next to his home, beginning to prune it.
PAUL: I had an existing back problem and it just exacerbated the back problem. And to this day, a year later, I've still got a lot of pain with the back. Once upon a time I could spend all day doing quite vigorous work, now I can only spend a short amount of time. I've painted other sections of the house.
VISION: Footage is shown of an unpainted section of the roof.
PAUL: That particular section, I think I've got post-traumatic stress syndrome from it. I haven't been back there.
DR OWEN ROODENBURG: Every time you use a ladder, you're taking a risk. Don't let it come down to luck. If you think about it first, you can be safe.
TEXT: When using a ladder, make safety matter. www.productsafety.gov.au/laddersafetymatters
Things to look for when buying the product
Serious injuries and deaths have happened to people using ladders in an unsafe way, or using the wrong ladder for the type of job or home project being undertaken.
While there isn’t a mandatory standard for ladders in Australia, there are some things to look out for when buying a ladder.
- Firstly, consider whether you should use a ladder. If you’re an older person or a person living with disability, you may be eligible for assistance with home maintenance from your local council or another agency.
- Check the weight capacity of the ladder.
- Make sure the ladder is the right height and design for the jobs you’re likely to use it for.
How to use the product safely
It’s often the split-second decision or risky shortcut that results in a fall. Follow these tips when using a ladder.
- Read the safety warnings on the ladder and follow the manufacturer’s advice.
- Choose the right ladder for the job.
- Don’t work in wet or windy conditions.
- Wear slip-resistant shoes.
- Take time to set up your ladder on a firm, flat surface and lock the spreaders.
- Have another person hold the ladder.
- Keep your body centred between the side rails.
- Don’t stand above the second step from the top on a step ladder or the third rung on an extension ladder.
- Don’t over-reach.
- Know your limits and work to your ability.
Watch our videos on ladder safety
Mick's story
To help educate consumers on the dangers that ladders can pose, Mick shares his story about falling from a DIY structure he had set up in order to trim a hedge, and his recovery.
Video transcript
TEXT: Ladder safety matters
MICK: It was a very humid, hot day and I was feeling really tired.
VISION: A panning shot of hedges aside a house.
MICK: I went around the side of the house and saw the big hedge that my wife's been asking me to cut for... so long. I had ladders set too far apart and I had a plank that I thought that would be alright to walk on. The ladders gave way and I crashed to the ground about two metres; two and a half metres. I hit my head on the windowsill on the way down.
VISION: Still shots are shown of Mick in a hospital bed, wearing a neck brace.
MICK: I ended up breaking four ribs, broke my C6 [vertebrae] and fractured five vertebrae. It's enough to make you feel depressed because I can't do anything. I struggle to mow the lawns.
VISION: Footage of Mick walking his dog as he continues to speak.
MICK: I've got to a point where I feel useless. I've had my teary moments where [I've thought] 'what's the use of being around, I can't do anything'. That's really hard for men that have done their own work all of their lives. It's so hard to let go and pay for someone to come in and do it or ask someone to do it.
VISION: Mick walks into the distance with his dog.
MICK: I would say to anyone of 50 up: 'Think twice about going up a ladder'.
DR OWEN ROODENBURG: If you or someone that you care about needs to use a ladder, it's unlikely you'll plan to fall, but you can definitely plan not to fall.
MICK: It's the same old story; it's the preparation that saves you.
TEXT: When using a ladder, make safety matter. www.productsafety.gov.au/laddersafetymatters
John's father's story
To help educate consumers on the dangers that ladders can pose, John shares his story about his father falling from a ladder while investigating a leaking roof 5 year's ago. He has not fully recovered from his injuries.
Video transcript
TEXT: Ladder safety matters
JOHN: About five years ago my dad fell off a ladder and sustained injuries to his head and his back and he hasn't completely recovered.
VISION: A close-up shot of ladders leaning against the side of a house.
JOHN: We had a leaking roof, so he walked outside to see if he could fix it. He just wasn't careful, he had placed two ladders on top of each other and without thinking he decided to climb onto the ladders.
VISION: John's father's is seen sitting down, drinking from a cup.
JOHN: He basically just fell from a small height - about a metre high - and he fell backwards, hit his head on the grass and he was unconscious. I realised when he was in ICU and he was in an induced coma: it was pretty bad.
VISION: A close-up shot of old family photos.
JOHN: He sustained a fracture in his back, he sustained bleeding to the brain, he sustained a pulmonary embolism, he sustained spinal stenosis, and he sustained fibrosis in the lungs. He was in hospital for about five or six months.
VISION: John's mother prepares drinks in the kitchen.
JOHN: My mum's the primary caregiver and she's basically taken over all duties. She looks after him and looks after the house at the same time.
JOHN'S MOTHER: [Translated] It didn't just affect me, it affected my whole family.
JOHN: He's not the same person as he used to be. He's constantly worrying about whether he's going to get better, and the longer it takes, the more depressed he gets. My dad was very active: he would mow the lawns, he would do house maintenance, he was a very hands-on European migrant - you know: 'Do everything yourself' type of person. And he thought that nothing would ever happen to him, or that it could have possibly happened the way it turned out - so it could potentially happen to anyone.
DR. OWEN ROODENBURG: If you fall from a ladder it's not just you that suffers, there can be massive consequences for your family and those who care for you.
TEXT: When using a ladder, make safety matter. www.productsafety.gov.au/laddersafetymatters
Paul's story
To help educate consumers on the dangers that ladders can pose, Paul shares his story about falling from a ladder while sanding the exterior of his house and how the injuries from the fall have impacted his life.
Video transcript
TEXT: Ladder safety matters
PAUL: I'd been out painting all day. I had one section to do.
VISION: A slow panning shot of an unpainted section of a house.
PAUL: I didn't stabilise the ladder enough. I just had two weatherboards to go and they were up the top. By that time I was tired, my glasses were dirty. I was leaning over, rather than going down the ladder, move the ladder and going back up again.
VISION: A close-up shot of one rung of a metal ladder. We then cut to a shot of various DIY tools including paint scrapers, brushes, and glue.
PAUL: I just reached out to try and sand the last bit. That's when the ladder became unstable, and I fell. I landed with a great thud on concrete. I hit my head. I was in a lot of pain, particularly back pain. I got some fractured ribs, a pneumothorax - that's like an opening on the lung.
VISION: Paul walks down his hallway and retrieves a pair of trimmers from among the tools on the table.
PAUL: I was a nurse for 32 years. I've seen injuries from lesser trauma - paraplegia, quadriplegia - it was my worry that I'd done something really bad.
VISION: Paul emerges from his house and walks towards a shrub next to his home, beginning to prune it.
PAUL: I had an existing back problem and it just exacerbated the back problem. And to this day, a year later, I've still got a lot of pain with the back. Once upon a time I could spend all day doing quite vigorous work, now I can only spend a short amount of time. I've painted other sections of the house.
VISION: Footage is shown of an unpainted section of the roof.
PAUL: That particular section, I think I've got post-traumatic stress syndrome from it. I haven't been back there.
DR OWEN ROODENBURG: Every time you use a ladder, you're taking a risk. Don't let it come down to luck. If you think about it first, you can be safe.
TEXT: When using a ladder, make safety matter. www.productsafety.gov.au/laddersafetymatters
