Last month we talked about being careful when working around the house, especially on ladders. Ladder safety is such a critically important subject. Last month, a close friend of mine fell from a ladder and almost died. At the time of this writing, it has now been over 40 days, and he is now in rehab on a long road to recovery. And while he was in the ICU trauma unit of the hospital, a lady in the room next door who fell off a small step ladder sadly passed away from her injuries. I hope that our articles last month and this month will help our readers be more careful and safe and prevent injuries that could have happened.
There are different kinds of ladders, such as step ladders of different heights, extension ladders of different lengths, and attic ladders / pull down stairs of different materials and weight ratings. Let’s focus this month on the subject of pull-down stairs to access attic space.
Hundreds of thousands of ladder accidents occur each year. Attic ladder accidents are not as common as some other ladder accidents, but the potential for serious injury still exists. People are injured on attic ladders when the ladder material fails, ladder hinges fail, springs are broken or out of adjustment, ladder rivets or other connections fail, anchor points fail, nuts and bolts are loose, or when they just plain fall from the ladder. Attic ladders are to be correctly installed, require periodic inspection and very simple maintenance. It’s the simple maintenance that when not done causes the stairs to be unsafe, so let’s talk about the common failures and maintenance of attic pull-down stairs.
Material Failure
Failure of the ladder material is often seen in wooden ladders. Wood splits, deteriorates, and added weight over time weakens the attic ladder. Boxes and other objects stored in attics can easily weigh 40 to 60 pounds. Carrying boxes and all kinds of items up and down the stairs, and then add to that the weight of the person, turns a once sturdy ladder into a hazardous situation.
Hinge Failure
Think about it … an attic ladder is only as strong as its weakest component. Too many hinges were made out of lightweight, thin steel straps and rivets. These lightweight hinges are not designed to take the full range of forces often encountered on an attic ladder. Over the years, the hinge is like a paper-clip that’s been bent several times … it can and will finally break.
Traditional attic ladders must be cut to length after installation. An attic ladder that is properly installed carries the bulk of force from a person climbing it by the wood sections butting against each other. I see many attic ladders that were not cut properly, and this can put the load on the hinges.
Fall from an Attic Ladder
The majority of attic ladder falls are when the person is descending. When people are carrying boxes down from an attic, as they often do, they may not be able to see their feet. This can lead to an error in judgment, causing the person to miss a step and fall down to the ground. Falls are made more serious from attic ladders due to the loads that people will be carrying. The weight of the object a person is carrying will increase the person’s acceleration to the ground, which increases the force upon impact. Heavy objects dropped in a fall may cause further injuries to the user or people nearby.
Newer Designs and Improvements
Newer ladders have improved hinge designs and manufacturers have improved products that caused problems with older traditional folding attic ladder. Some attic ladders do not require cutting them to length after installation. Look closely at your attic ladder. You may want to consider replacing it with a newer unit and one that has a heavier weight rating.
Take a close look at your attic ladder(s) … you may be surprised at how loose some of the hinges are or even find some screws or nuts that are missing. Repair and replace parts or the whole ladder as needed. Be careful my friends!
