Simple rules for getting Christmas lights down safely

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – With snow in the forecast, today might be your last chance to get those Christmas lights down.

Unfortunately, emergency rooms often see a spike in ladder accidents in the first few weeks of the New Year.

Dr. Shelina Babul says a good way to avoid becoming a statistic is to follow the “four-to-one rule.”  “When you’re putting up the ladder, it’s one foot back for every four feet high of the ladder.  
So, if you employ that safety tip then that’s a key one to follow.”

Other tips are to make sure all the locks are in place as you extend the ladder and to make sure it’s about one metre above the edge of the roof.

“When you’re leaning the ladder against the roof or the side of the roof make sure it’s stable against a stable surface so there’s no wobbling of that ladder and make sure it’s firm,” she says.