There are ten thousand gardening accidents

I still hold ladder for OH and if poss he ties it off to a structure that is sound.
there are labels on the supports showing the correct angle to lean it at etc. so on our ladders lots of H&S instructions.

Good for you SB . So why are there all these accidents
reported involving retired people ? Must cost the NHS
a fortune.
Should there be some kind of safety harness that people
could wear, that clips onto a solid structure ?

Hi Diane, I think a lot of these accidents are probably caused by leaning over too far, rather than move the ladder, people tend to over reach themselves, resulting in falls, they just think; "I can just about reach that", and then realize too late, that they can't, Derek.

330 accidents per year for one reason is too high a figure for elderly people.

Got the maths wrong. One third of 10,000 is
3.333.
Therefore in 3 years, 10,000 gardeners would be injured
by falling off ladders.
Thats too many.
Positive suggestions to reduce these figures would be
welcome.
e.g. Remember Code DNRTF = Do not reach too far.

Those who learned to drive in the Army will remember
WOFLTB.
It meant the check we always had to do before driving out of the depot.
Water, Oil, Fuel, Lights, Tyres, Battery/ Bodywork.

Its this kind of Code that is needed to prevent accidents
involving ladders.

We are not making much progress on this issue.

Contrary to popular opinion Health and Safety Regulations apply to workplaces (as in employment) NOT to what we do in our own homes.
There are Working at Height Regulations 2005 which could be used as guidance for householders and the HSE has a leaflet see http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg455.pdf but, again, this is intended for workplaces.

(ps WOFLTB is much easier to remember as POWER - petrol, oil, water, electrics, rubber - though what we diesel car owners are supposed to do....)