Up and Down Ladder Safety

Photo by Antonio Jiménez Alonso

MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Holiday decorating season is here, and that means hauling out ladders to place holiday cheer throughout the home and yard.

A ladder seems like such a simple tool, but ladder accidents are far too common and can happen in the blink of an eye.

“Most people’s reaction time is somewhere between a half and three-quarters of a second, so by the time they can react to something, they’re already well into a problem,” said Bob Schultheis, University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.