Are you thinking about getting up on some ladders and cleaning your own windows, instead of hiring a trained and experienced professional?

Please be careful.

Did you know that a fall of as little as 3 feet can cause you serious harm?

You could possibly even fracture a bone, like the unsuspecting and unfortunate person who’s replacement hip is shown in the x-ray above!

What impact would it have on your family if you broke a bone because you took an unnecessary risk and fell off your ladder?

What impact would it have on your job?

How long would you have to endure pain? Are you good with pain?

“We should treat ladders as dangerous”

Lara Trifiletti, Ph.D., a researcher with the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio, along with colleagues, examined federal statistics on nonfatal ladder injuries that sent people to emergency rooms.

Ninety-seven percent of those cases happened in what Trifiletti calls “non-occupational” settings like homes.

“Maybe a lot of people are doing do-it-yourself home repairs,” Trifiletti said. “That may be one explanation why we see such a high rate in homes.”

What to do? “Most people like to think of a ladder as a fairly benign piece of equipment, but the injuries that result are very serious,” Trifiletti said. “We should treat ladders like a potentially dangerous tool, like a power saw or razor-sharp plane.”

Michael Mello, M.D., director of Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital, said the findings appear to be valid. According to him, ladder injuries should not be taken lightly.

“Many of these fractures are very complex and require extensive surgery. That’s only part of the problem. These fractures of hands, wrists, ankles and feet can require future surgeries, rehab and lifelong arthritis or chronic pain,” he said. “I see patients frequently who are still bothered by pain from complex fractures after falls many years ago.”

Ouch.

Your broken bones aren’t worth any price.

Leave the ladder work to the experts at Walkers Window Cleaning.