Ladder safety matters

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Consumer

In one year in Australia, 1668 people aged 65 years and over were hospitalised because they fell from a ladder. Sixty-two per cent of those injuries occurred in or around their home.

Ladder related injuries among men aged 65 years and older is steadily increasing in Australia.

The national education campaign ‘Ladder safety matters’ encourages older Australian men to stop and think before they use a ladder. It’s often the split-second decision or risky shortcut that results in a fall.  

By following some simple ladder safety tips the risk of injury can be reduced:

  • choose the right ladder for the job
  • don’t work in wet or windy conditions
  • take time to set up your ladder
  • work safely up the ladder
  • have another person hold the ladder
  • know your limits and work to your ability.

Learn more by viewing the ladders Product Safety Australia webpage and When using a ladder make safety matter Australian Consumer Law brochure.

Ladder safety videos

Watch Mick, John and Paul tell their stories about falling from ladders, the recovery process and how the fall has changed their lives.

Mick's story

Mick, an active retiree, fell from a DIY structure he had set up in order to trim a hedge. Watch Mick’s story.

John's story

John’s father, Nick, fell from a ladder while investigating a leaking roof five years ago and has not fully recovered from his injuries. Watch John’s story.

Paul's story

Paul was sanding the exterior of his house when he overreached and fell more than two metres from a ladder. Watch Paul’s story.

Dr Roodenburg

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.

 

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