Orthapedic Surgeons Warn Against Smacking Up Ladders

Ethan Switch - Tuesday, 16 September, 2003 - 18:54:41 - print it raw

Walking under a ladder conjures spooks of bad luck which rip through the minds of the more superstitious. This largely stems from the fact that not everyone knows the proper procedures in the use of ladders.

"Knowing how to properly set up and use a ladder is an important first step in reducing the chance of a fall or other ladder-related accident," explained James Herndon, MD, president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Make sure the weight your ladder is supporting does not exceed its maximum load capacity. There should only be one person on the ladder at a time."

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, smack rates against ladders were pretty high in the States with 481,000 people having been admitted to emergency rooms with ladder related incidents. Most injuries were cuts, bruises and fractured bones. Many of the injuries sustained resulted from a basic lack of care such as using the top step as a seat and leaning out on either side like a librarian's laddder.

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