Steps to disaster

By Lia Bichel
A 67-YEAR-OLD man was taken to hospital after he fell more than three metres from a ladder during last week’s downpour.
Paramedic team manager Carmel Rogers said that at 7.30pm on 11 February the man fell when the ladder he was using buckled while he was repairing the roof at a Springvale South residence. He dislocated his shoulder.
“Paramedics gave him some pain relief through an inhaler and also through a drip in his arm,” Ms Rogers said. “He was fitted with a neck brace, given the potential for spinal injuries in the fall, and was taken to The Alfred hospital.”
Ms Rogers urged people to refrain from doing house repairs in the rain.
“Carrying out repairs in the rain is quite hazardous with the potential for the ladder to slip,” she said. “We have had a number of cases in recent months where people aged over 50 have suffered serious injuries in ladder falls – including one where a man died. People should consider getting a professional in to carry out repairs.”