If you're a fan of danger and heights, perhaps you should stop reading this and go buy a ladder. If you like standing upright on your own power, and generally continuing to live though please read on to consider the risks of using ladders when you're not particularly experienced. Each year, more than 500,000 Americans are treated for ladder-related injuries. More than 97% of these incidents occurred in non-occupational settings; by homeowners working on their own homes. More than 300 die from these injuries.
Some of the most common causes for ladder accidents at home are:
1. Wrong Size Ladder
Many homeowners own just one ladder, if any, and it's often the foldable or “do-it-all” types. Trying to make a ladder that's too short reach higher or using a ladder that's far too big at an angle that's too shallow, is a straight path to serious problems. It's also far better to use an appropriately graded extension ladder with a standoff and pronged feet, to protect the gutters and to provide much greater stability.
2. Reaching or Leaning
It's so tempting to reach for that extra inch and save the hassle of moving your ladder, but this is an easy recipe for a stumble and fall — and once again, anxiety or inexperience in maintaining your balance at height greatly exacerbates this risk. High quality extension tools can avoid a lot of this temptation.
3. Missing a Step / Rung
If you only climb a ladder a few times a year — let alone far less — it's incredibly easy to get caught up in what you're doing and miss a step, especially if you're nervous. Falling this way can get your limbs stuck between the rungs on your way down; this is a common cause of broken limbs from relatively low heights.
4. Unlevel or Soft Ground
Many homes have graded yards which can make your ladder suddenly lean dramatically without proper leveling equipment. Sometimes, people try to stack wood or bricks to make up the difference with disastrous consequences. Wet decks or soft ground can also cause your ladder to slip or lean. Most of the time, it'll all seem well enough until your mass passes a precipice — near the top, too late… oops.
So why is Done Gutter any different?
No one using a ladder can eliminate the risks entirely, but proper training, setup, and experience makes a massive difference. Over years of repetition we have every step memorized and operate calmy even at great height. We've seen every kind of ladder placement out there and know how to identify safety hazards. We watch the weather, and never hesitate to delay when safe conditions are questionable.
We have a huge range of equipment on hand too, including ladders of multiple sizes, leveling equipment, and extension tools that minimize the number of times we need to move or climb a ladder in the first place. We use a drone to inspect difficult areas first. As silly it sounds, we're trained to do this, and we actively work to minimize our risk exposure. Knock on wood, but we have yet to have an incident in over 15 years of constant ladder usage. Why risk your health and mobility over a couple hundred bucks at the most? Be safe and let us — or another professional — step up for you.