By: Dr. Irving Ojalvo
Tel: (800) 358-9909
Fax: (888) 358-9901
Email: Technology Associates
There are over 100,000 ladder accidents annually in the U.S. requiring hospital emergency room treatment. Although many of these result from user misuse, such as an improper extension ladder lean angle against a wall causing it to slip outward, use of a damaged ladder, or failing to lock a step ladder's spreaders, many ladders fail due to design or manufacturing defects. Many are designed too flexibly and some extension ladders are equipped with inferior rung locks. Other defects can be introduced during manufacturing such as material flaws or improperly seated rivet attachments. In addition, the fine-print warnings and instructions, on most ladders, are hard to read.
We are active participants on the ANSI Ladder Standards Committee and have:
Through scientific analysis, we can help you answer pertinent questions such as:
Falls From Stepladders:
We have investigated numerous stepladder accidents involving unexplained falls where no obvious structural defect can be found. When a ladder is too flexible, a climber may inadvertently cause the rear legs to shift sidewise, raising one of the legs off the ground. Later, when the user shifts his weight, the raised leg suddenly strikes the ground causing him to loose his balance and fall. In several cases, we have demonstrated how modest side rail stiffness improvements can reduce this problem.
Extension Ladder Slips off Low Pitch Roof:
A handyman was repairing some siding on a split-level roof when the extension ladder he had placed on the lower roof slid out from under him. We demonstrated that the modest slant of the lower roof produced a significant tendency for the lower side rail legs to slide out, and that the posted warnings against such action were present on the incident ladder. This resulted in a successful homeowner's claim defense.
Dr. Irving Ojalvo was, at the time of this article's publication, the Chairman of Technology Associates (www.technology-assoc.com), a forensic engineering firm with offices in New York City and Connecticut. The firm's technical personnel, all of whom have advanced degrees, perform accident reconstruction involving issues of biomechanics, mechanical, traffic, and human factors engineering.
©Copyright - All Rights Reserved
DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION BY AUTHOR.
8/7/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Engineering Experts: Animation
Animations are useful visual tools that can help jurors understand how an incident could, or could not, have occurred. Simply describing an event in court, or showing still pictures, may be insufficient to explain a complex sequence of events.
7/31/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Engineering Experts: Parking Lots & Garages
Parking lots are the scene of many pedestrian accidents because of the close proximity of people and cars and the confusing traffic patterns that sometimes exist. In addition to pedestrian-vehicle collisions, many trip and fall accidents occur in parking lots as well.
7/31/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Engineering Experts: Doors & Gates
Doors and gates, whether automated or manual, can pose a serious hazard to users if not designed, manufactured, installed and maintained properly. The different types include automatic doors, overhead garage doors, elevator doors, sliding doors, swinging doors, and automatic gates.
