According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, every year 500,000 people are treated for ladder-related injuries and approximately 300 of these incidents prove to be fatal.

1. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, every year 500,000 people are treated for ladder-related injuries and approximately 300 of these incidents prove to be fatal. They further estimated that ladder-related injuries effectively cost the public more than $11 billion annually.
2. Of all occupational injuries, falls are the second leading cause of death next to highway crashes. Falls remain a leading cause of unintentional injury mortality nationwide, and 43% of fatal falls in the last decade have involved a ladder. Among workers, approximately 20% of fall injuries involve ladders. Among construction workers, an estimated 81% of fall injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments involve a ladder.
3. In 2013, 175,790 people were injured on ladders severely enough to require a trip to the hospital. Nearly 20,000 people were injured and 133 died due to falls from a ladder or scaffolding at work, according to Injury Facts 2016. Workers in the construction industry are most at risk.
4. Common sense leads us to the conclusion that a shorter ladder carries less risk of injury than a taller one, and to an extent, this is probably true. Someone can, however, sustain serious injury from even a short fall. A 2011 estimate from the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) claims that 35% of fall fatalities [PDF] were from heights of 15 feet or less. http://www.retailassociationservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/At-what-height-do-most-ladder-injuries-occur.pdf
5. 40% of ladder falls resulted from the ladder itself moving. The large majority of these cases involve the bottom of the ladder moving. You’ll recognize that this kind of movement can happen no matter how high up you are. http://www.retailassociationservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/At-what-height-do-most-ladder-injuries-occur.pdf
6. 24% were attributed to slips on the steps of the ladder. Inspecting the steps to make sure they are free of any slippery material and wearing appropriate footwear along with choosing ladders with anti-slip surfaces on the steps can help mitigate this risk.  http://www.retailassociationservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/At-what-height-do-most-ladder-injuries-occur.pdf

Losing one’s balance accounted for another 18% of ladder falls which should be less likely to occur if the ladder itself is stable. http://www.retailassociationservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/At-what-height-do-most-ladder-injuries-occur.pdf