Media Release

Attention: News editors/Health reporters - 24 August 2006

Falling to their deaths

At least 12 men died and more than 5000 people were injured in ladder accidents in Victoria in just two years, says a report from the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit at Monash University.

Middle-aged and older home handymen and gardeners were the main victims of ladder falls, reveals the new Hazard report, released today by the unit, part of the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC).

Most of the deaths happened in the home and involved men aged in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Those who died had nearly all suffered head trauma.

MUARC senior research fellow Ms Erin Cassell said most of those who died should not have been working from a ladder at height in the first place, due to their age and state of health.

Hospital admissions for ladder fall injuries rose by 40 per cent over the decade from 1994 to 2004, and the average hospital stay was just over four days. The most serious injury cases included people who were hospitalised for more than three months with multiple fractures and spinal cord injuries.

Ms Cassell said the report revealed a disturbing trend.

“There is a worrying insurance issue of which people should be aware as well as the obvious concern for health,” she said. “Fall from a ladder at work and expenses and income are generally covered - but if you are seriously injured in a ladder fall at home, you have no protection unless you have personal accident or income insurance.”

Strict work at height regulations recently introduced into Victorian workplaces stood in stark contrast to the lack of controls and preventative measures on falls while working at height (mostly from a ladder) at home, she said.

Fractures were the most common injury, accounting for 62 per cent of hospital admissions and 28 per cent of emergency visits. Dislocations, sprains and strains were most frequent among emergency department presentations.

Some common mechanisms of injury for home ladder falls include

Ladder slide out (where the top of the ladder slides down the wall when the base of the ladder slides away from it)
User slip or misstep
User loss of balance
Ladder fault/malfunction

Ms Cassell said people over 65 should be discouraged from climbing ladders to do home maintenance tasks.

“One way to achieve a drop in ladder injury among older people is to provide alternative, reliable and low cost home maintenance services for tasks performed at height,” she said.

Ms Cassell said another recent MUARC study showed motivations for older people doing ‘handyman’ tasks included financial necessity, personal preference and satisfaction and pride.

She said a multifaceted approach was needed to reduce ladder injuries in the home including changes to ladder accessories (such as attachment points on houses), design changes to reduce the overall need for ladders (such as self-cleaning glass and redesigned gutters), and design measures to minimise sliding or slipping risks.

“We also need to look at social changes to reduce ladder use by older people, as well as community education on safe ladder use,” she said.

The full report can be viewed at http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/VISU/hazard/index.html

Ms Erin Cassell is available for interview on +61 3 9905 1857 or contact MUARC senior media communications officer Ms Allison Harding on +61 3 9905 1255 or 0419 302 520.