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April
11, 2005:
The Dangers Of Spring
Interview
with John Drengenberg Manager, Consumer Affairs Underwriters
Laboratories www.ul.com/consumers
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Mike Carruthers:
Before
you get out your ladder to start your springtime home repairs,
listen to this statistic…
John
Drengenberg:
Believe it or not more than 160,000 people make hospital emergency
room visits just from falling off of ladders every year.
John
Drengenberg, Consumer Affairs Manager for Underwriters Laboratories
says you might think you'd have to be a real idiot to fall off
a ladder but it can and does happen to anyone.
Underwriters
Laboratories always recommends that when you climb a ladder
you should use both hands on the ladder, one step at a time,
two hands at a time. And the best way to do that is to get yourself
a tool belt; you can use the tool belt to carry up the tools
while you're holding onto the ladder.
Another
big safety problem come spring, lawn mowers.
Over
50,000 injuries every year from lawn mowers. One of the best
bits of advice is never stick your hand or foot under the lawn
mower. If you have to get under that lawn mower, if it's an
electric lawn mower make sure it's unplugged before you turn
it over. If it's a gasoline lawn mower remove the wire from
the spark plug before you turn that lawn mower over.
And here's
another amazing safety statistic…
About
92,000 people make hospital room emergency visits every year
because of injuries from power tools. What happens with power
tools is we get a little complacent and we don't keep both hands
on the tool. Manufacturers for example put two handles on all
circular saws and that's where your hands should be.
You can
link to the UL website
from ours: somethingyoushouldknow.net
I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.
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