Climbing the Ladder…of Death

Gravitation continues its cruel assault on the American people: 

The number of ladder-related injuries in the United States increased by more than 50 percent from 1990 to 2005, says a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

"Individuals using ladders are often not mindful of the severe risks associated with use," study co-author Lara Trifiletti, a principal investigator at CIRP and an assistant professor at Ohio State University's College of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

"Increased public health initiatives that target men and women, especially of working age, could help reduce the number of ladder-related injuries," she said.

"Ladders should be treated with the same respect and caution as any potentially dangerous tool, such as a power saw," co-author Dr. Gary Smith, director of CIRP and an associate professor at Ohio State University's College of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

While I'm going to go ahead and oppose any tax-funded public health initiative meant to explain spacetime curvature and its consequences for DIY home repair, I am genuinely curious: Why so many more ladder-induced injuries? More ladders? Shoddy ladders? A dearth of acrophobia?

Via Ttp.