# Have You Ever Taken a Bad Fall?



## Admin

> "Falls are a major concern for painters. Even if you’re only a few feet off the ground, falls can cause injuries that keep you off your feet for weeks; at greater heights they can cause serious injury or even death. This isn’t just a risk for painters who work outside, either, as interior painters can still take a fall and get hurt. The point is that if your job takes you near a ladder or scaffolding, fall prevention needs to be on your mind." *7 Ways to Prevent Falls in 2016*


Have you (or someone on your crew ) ever taken a bad fall on the job?

Was it something that could have been prevented? How so?


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## RH

I've had two - both while working at my own home and both were a result of careless ladder set up. But other than that, I consider it bad luck to talk about them. Sorry.


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## kmp

Stepped off a roof, fell 9', spiral fracture on big bone on right leg at ankle. Five hours of surgery,external fixator for three months, cast's for two plus months.Still bothers me after 13 years. Falling constitutes an accident, stepping off constitutes stupidity. Ya gotta pay for stupid.


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## CApainter

The other day I was walking around my truck, after retrieving a caulking gun, when suddenly my left foot decided to trip my right foot. I couldn't do anything except to prepare for a faceplant because there wasn't enough time for my arms to raise in defense. Luckily, I turned my proned body to the left moments before impact and only suffered a knee abrasion.

I laid there for a short time looking around for someone fortunate enough to have witnessed me keel over like a store front wooden Indian kicked by a malicious teenager. Alas!, I was alone and ashamed.


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## kmp

When I stepped off the roof I had three other guys with me but no one saw the landing. You know when you fall and somebody asks if you are o.k. and your first response is I'm good, well when my guy asked me that when he saw me in the dirt all I could say was no not this time.I was able to drive myself 40 miles to the hospital. Kind of put a dent in my wife's day.


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## Rbriggs82

I havent yet... Knock on wood.


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## journeymanPainter

Worse fall - I was pressure washing on the roof of a mall in north Vancouver. 32 foot extension ladder leaning on a sloped roof. Ladder kicked out and started sliding. Hit something in the roof and the ladder stopped but I kept going....fell probably 15 feet down, but flew an additional 8 feet out. 

Scariest close call - I was painting a best western in Abbotsford. We had a 30 foot articulating boom, and 'rigging' so we could paint the back side with a nice little ditch as an obstacle. End of the day comes, I'm trying to bring 3 different parts of the boom down at once, then realize I'm also moving it backwards....scared the sh!t outta me is an understatement.


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## Gwarel

RH said:


> I've had two - both while working at my own home and both were a result of careless ladder set up. But other than that, I consider it bad luck to talk about them. Sorry.


I admitted to my incident last year due to carelessness also, so I won't re-live it here. I will however revisit my advice from that episode.....
Don't be a dumbass. All your years of experience can fill you with a false sense of security. Every day is a new chance to injure yourself. Every time you set your ladder make sure you have done your due diligence. Be careful out there guys and girls!


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## BearHM11

Had my share of falls over the years. Been fortunate the only thing ever hurt was my ego. 
A friend of mine had a 28' slide out on him several years ago while working alone. Ended up with a compound fracture of the left tibia, and six screws in his right ankle. Still walks with a significant limp to this day. I think about that accident just about every time I take my first climb of the day. Still gives me chills


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## jacob33

Never fallen. Worst thing I did was step off a ladder onto a nail one time. Did not see it the house had just gotten a new roof and a piece of shingle and nail in it happened to not get picked up and I stepped on it coming down from a ladder. I walked with a limp for days.


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## Pete6114

Back in the 70's when i was young, i was on a extension ladder 30 feet or so high, scraper in hand when my side-kick said something to me and i started scraping without looking or i would have seen a good size Wasp or Hornet hive (don't remember which). Needless to say, i was soon trying to figure out how to get away from them as fast as possible and just jumped. Got up and ran away. No injury and never ever done that again.


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## playedout6

I fell about 2 feet off a two stepper when the legs kicked out from under it when I climbed on it too fast and had it tip on some slippery floor . The fall did not seem like much....but holy smokes the landing was bad !!! I fell on top of a metal toolbox ribs first . The pain was so intense and I reacted immediately....and hopped right up....then it took me 5 minutes to get to my truck and then drive home. I knew they were cracked or busted but I never went to the hospital . Was doing good healing for a week or so until I sneezed one day...and then POP POP....was like hurting them all over again . cI always make sure my work area is clean now in case I ever have a spill.....the landing is the worse .


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## DynaPLLC

Set up my 10 ft A ladder outside on what I thought it's solid ground...Climbed up with the bucket and brush to finish some trim work on a rambler. As soon as I got up , one of the feet started sinking in; next thing I know is I'm on the ground with paint all over me and some pain in my right foot. Didn't hurt so bad so I continued to work. Bad move...in 30 minutes the foot had swollen really bad and started to hurt like crazy..later on I found out my heel bone was damaged...took a loooong time to heal.. 
And to think it could have been prevented by paying closer attention to the ground I sat the ladder on ....


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## Bobmatko

I set myself up.... 

We were covering a floor up with paper to prep for paint. 1 of the ducts in the floor had a piece of plywood on it, not quite cut to shape. I picked it off, and told myself to remind myself to put it back over the paper once I was done. Myself failed to remind me..... couple hours later I was setting up to paint the window trim. Placed my ladder, turned around and vrooom.... left foot went through the paper followed by the right. Thank goodness my ribs were there to stop me. Ribs bruised, back scratched, air knocked out. Not sure if I broke anything, but I spent the rest of the month taking it easier.


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## PressurePros

CApainter said:


> The other day I was walking around my truck, after retrieving a caulking gun, when suddenly my left foot decided to trip my right foot. I couldn't do anything except to prepare for a faceplant because there wasn't enough time for my arms to raise in defense. Luckily, I turned my proned body to the left moments before impact and only suffered a knee abrasion.
> 
> I laid there for a short time looking around for someone fortunate enough to have witnessed me keel over like a store front wooden Indian kicked by a malicious teenager. Alas!, I was alone and ashamed.


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## Holdenholden

Fell 9’ off a ladder sliding out from under me. Broke my wrist and fractured my other arm and smashed my face on the ladder. Needed plates and screws on my wrist was out for 8 months. 


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## Brushman4

Cricket said:


> View attachment 71178
> 
> 
> 
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> Have you (or someone on your crew ) ever taken a bad fall on the job?
> 
> Was it something that could have been prevented? How so?


Has anyone ever taken a good one?:surprise:


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## vipulpatel

No I haven't! Because i always try to follow safety instruction as much as possible while using ladders at my job site, as well as also organized training session for my workers.


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## CApainter

So many flaws


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## SunHouseProperties

I too : do a safety walk around the property. Ill check for hazards like - overhead powerlines, unstable ground and I will do every first 10 minutes I get to site. things can change at any moment. When i do set up ladders or booms Ill review plan b fail safe strategies with the crew, so everyone knows what to do if something goes wrong. Of coarse thats plan B> Ill also clear my work area best possible and I usually look for bushs or trees that i can use to break a fall,One time my ladder hands slipped on wet upper and slid into corner(4hankfully I had that in plan, ) so i hopped the ladder straight and I came down safe. I had taken over a wall from another painter, where I wasnt sure were they left off, so I set my arms on their wet edge thats how my hands slid along and the slip was a short but scary 2 feet into soffit corner. take your time for YOUR safety, dont let anyone press you into being uncomfortable.


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## AngieM

I've been working on a crew as a sub here and there, so get to work with some interesting characters. Yesterday, the new guy thought it'd be a good idea to use the collapsible extension ladder on a drop cloth... On a hard wood floor... To cut in a 17ft ceiling! You can see where this story is going.

It slid out from under him and he belly flopped from 12 ft up. And guess how much paint he had in his cut pot? No less than a half gallon, of course.

He's okay, but the living room wasn't. It took 3 guys, 2 hours to clean it off the leather sectional that wasn't covered.

He admitted he just got high at lunch. I don't think he's going to try for workman's comp.


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## Holdenholden

Wow. If I was him I wouldn’t come back the next day. 


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## AngieM

Holdenholden said:


> Wow. If I was him I wouldn’t come back the next day.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think his ego hurts the most.


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## Holdenholden

Watched a guy roll a bulkhead overtop of a 4’by 6’ island that has a granite countertop. The countertop extends a foot out so you can use it as an eating bar. The guy stood on the edge and SNAP!! The granite cracked and was just hanging there. He left and never came back. 


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## Holdenholden

AngieM said:


> I think his ego hurts the most.




If I was the boss his ego wouldn’t be the only thing hurt 


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## RichieSam

I have seen once a painter falling from the second floor while painting. He was painting my house. But accidentally, he lost his grip and fell down. Since we immediately took him to the hospital, nothing much serious happened. The painters must be tightly secured before they start painting on higher elevation as the chances or getting accidents are more.


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## Wolfgang

Slid down the side of a house on a 40' ladder when the wind caught me just right. Had a guy on a 24' and yelled: "Coming Down!!!" He got down off the 24 in record time. Luckily the ground was soft, but like I said, I rode the ladder to the ground. Not even a bruise.

Worst fall was off of a 4' lol. Surgery and what looked like lag bolts and screws still holding it together after 18 years. I can beat the weather man every time when it changes lol.

Watched a guy on another crew have a 32' kick out and on a marble floor. New bannister and carpet on the stairs - oil paint and gouged the bannister pretty bad. Told the owner to go to Wally
World and pick up a couple of the bathtub mats with the suction cups, and not to ever put just a drop under the ladder legs.


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