Injuries and even death as a consequence of falls from ladders are increasing, especially in the home environment where elderly men are the most frequently presenting age group. There is considerable interest among health and safety professionals to develop injury prevention campaigns focusing on both ladders and their correct use. However there are large gaps in our knowledge, particularly in relation to the product choice, contribution of alcohol or medications, and compliance of safety practices at the time of the accident. This study is a collaboration bringing together expertise in emergency medicine, health economics, accident prevention and product safety. It aims to inform prevention and safety product campaigns by using ED data from two hospitals. Both retrospective data and prospective interviews with patients will be collected to describe the patterns, circumstances and outcomes of patients presenting to the emergency department as a result of injuries from ladder-related falls.
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