FACTS

1. Falls from ladders are the leading cause of deaths on construction sites.
2. Over the past decade, the number of people who have died from falls from ladders has tripled.
3. Falls from ladders are the leading cause of ladder-related injuries, followed by using a ladder improperly, using a faulty or defective ladder, and simple carelessness.
4. Ladders are available in many forms ranging from: attic ladders, orchard ladders, and roof ladders to sectional ladders, cat ladders, Christmas tree ladders,
5. There are 4 main types of ladder injuries. These include injuries related to: selecting the wrong type of ladder, using worn/damaged ladders, using ladders incorrectly, and placing ladders incorrectly.
6. Fractures are the most common type of ladder-related injury.

STATS

• According to the World Health Organization, the United States leads the world in ladder deaths. Each year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and 300 deaths in the U.S. that are caused by falls from ladders.
• Most ladder deaths are from falls of 10 feet or less.
• Falls from ladders are the leading cause of deaths on construction sites.
• Over the past decade, the number of people who have died from falls from ladders has tripled.
• More than 400 people died as a result of falls on or from ladders or scaffolding.
• Fatal falls, by type of fall, over one-third involved falls from roofs or ladders. Out of 617 falls, 20 % were from the ladder, 18 % were from the roof.  -U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor.
• Ladder-related injuries per 100,000 people rose almost 27 %
• The journal Health & Medicine Week points out that the risk of falling from a ladder is increasing, a 2017 study demonstrated that there were 41,092 hospitalised falls from ladders.
• Approximately 20 % of fall injuries involve ladders, and among construction workers, an estimated 81% of fall injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involve a ladder. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor Work-related fatal falls, by type of fall, nearly two-fifths involved falls from roofs or ladders.