Christmas Light Ladder Accidents on the Rise
Thanksgiving is over and many families are getting ready to string Christmas lights for the season. Unfortunately, the activity comes with a risk of accident and injury. People landing in the emergency room as a result of holiday decorating accidents rose from 12,000 cases in 2009 to 15,000 cases in 2013 according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This means that about 250 people per day are injured between the months of November and January while decorating. The most common accidents are cuts, falls and back strains. The most serious accidents are typically a fall of six to 10 feet from roofs or ladders; the resulting injuries can be in the form of broken necks, skull fractures, brain damage or even death. The major issue is that ladders typically extend six feet tall but most roofs are eight to 10 feet high. Most ladder accidents happen when a person starts the decent back onto the ladder from the roof as they try to bridge the two to four foot gap between the roof line and the top of the ladder. Secondly, many home ladders are designed to fold so even a small nudge can cause a collapse.
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