One of the best parts of the holiday season is
decorating your home, inside and out. Now that it's time to break out the
string lights and the ladder, it's extremely important to prioritize and
understand the safety precautions necessary to keep both yourself and your roof
safe. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), 43% of holiday
decorating injuries are caused by falls from ladders, with the most common
injury being bone fractures. To prevent an emergency room visit during the
holidays, learn 4 safety tips for decorating your roof.
Plan It
Out
Prior to getting out the lights and ladders,
you need to devise a plan. First, start by making sure you have a helper
available to be there if you need anything and to stabilize the ladder. Test
out all of your lights and decorations to make sure they are working properly
before putting them up. Make sure you have proper materials, such as clips to
hang up the lights, your decorations set out, and your string lights organized.
Use A
Sunny Day
To be able to see what you're doing, put up
your decorations on a sunny day without any precipitation. Snow, rain, and
darkness will only add additional complications and potential problems when you
are on a ladder trying to put up decorations. Also, make sure that you start
earlier in the day so you have plenty of hours of sunlight to finish
decorating.
Practice
Ladder Safety
Ladder falls can be extremely dangerous, so it
is important to practice ladder safety every time you have to use one. First,
make sure your ladder has the proper weight rating and is in working condition.
Only use your ladder on flat and level surfaces to prevent any tipping or
leaning. Get a helper to keep your ladder stable. When you're on the ladder, do
not overstretch to try and reach. This will shift your center of gravity and
can quickly lead to a fall. Keep your ladder set at a 75-degree angle and do
not stand on the top three rungs of the ladder. Ladder safety is key to
preventing a fall.
Use
Safety Gear
In addition to practicing ladder safety, you
can use safety gear and dress properly to help prevent a fall. You should wear
shoes with rubber soles that have traction and make sure the soles of your
shoes do not have mud and dirt on the bottom. Use a tool belt to hold your
tools and materials so you do not have to try and bend.
The holiday season is also accompanied by
colder weather. If you haven't already prepared your roof for winter weather, it's
time to get started.
Make sure your roof is in good condition
before putting up your holiday decorations, and schedule a free video roofing
inspection with ARAC Roof It Forward! A free video roof inspection will allow
our team to diagnose potential problems that are going on with your roof. After
the examination, we will show you any concerning areas of your roof, review
your repair options, and provide a cost estimate. Schedule your free video
inspection with Roof It Forward today.
