Ladders falls are worse for older workers

Any construction worker who has to work on a ladder is potentially in danger of suffering serious injuries in a fall. It could be a 65-year-old worker who is one day away from retirement or an 18-year-old worker who is starting his first day on the job. Ladder falls are a significant risk and all workers need to take them seriously.

That said, studies have found that older workers are in more danger than younger workers. Specifically, experts noted that the falls older workers got involved in typically happened at lower heights, but they had “more severe injury patterns.”

This speaks to the frailty of the human body and how it can increase with age. A worker who is 18 may stand up and walk away from a fall without injury, while a worker who is 65 may need an ambulance ride to the hospital.

Never assume this is the case, of course. A teen worker could also have serious injuries. But the statistics simply show that it’s more common with older workers. Here are a few more key findings from the same study:

• Men fall far more often than women, making up 89.3% of the cases.
• The average age of injured workers after a fall was 55 years old, perhaps speaking to the fact that older workers get hurt more often.
• The typical height of the fall was just 9.8 feet, which is low enough that many workers may mistakenly believe they’re not in serious danger.

Have you been hurt on the job? If so, make sure you know all of the legal options you have.