It is that time of year again; time to clean your gutters. You have your ladder, gloves, a mask, a gutter cleaning scoop, a garbage bag, and a hose handy. You have everything you need right? Wrong! You are forgetting the most important gutter cleaning rule – safety first. Cleaning your gutters is a simple task in terms of the labor, but there are serious safety issues associated with this task. Any time you work at an elevation or with ladders, there are risks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that there are over 160,000 ladder related injuries treated in emergency rooms every year. There are even people who die from ladder falls. It is important to follow a few simple rules when working on a ladder.
First, make sure that the ladder is rated for the weight that will be on it. Most are capable of holding an average sized adult. Make sure that only one person is on the steps at any given time. The next important thing to think about is the height of the gutters. You should set your ladder at a seventy-five degree angle and at least three feet should extend past the roof line. You never stand on the top three rungs. Make sure that the ladder you are using has slip resistant feet and that you only use it on firm and level ground. Never prop up one side with shims or other devices like rocks or blocks to make it level.
Most ladder safety guides will tell you that you should keep your body centered between the rails when climbing and working. When cleaning your gutters, that might not be possible. You will need to reach out from side to side in order to clean sections of your gutter. Just be smart about it and never take your feet off their support. As long as both feet are securely planted, then you will not be able to reach too far, but you will avoid a possibly dangerous fall.
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