The odds of dying by falling off a ladder

[chochokeira]

I hate heights and also ladders. I remember working in Braintree once 25 feet up signwriting a factory building and this wasp decided to investigate me. What do I do? Pot of paint in one hand and brush in the other. I took a swipe at the wasp, knocked my glasses off which smashed as the hit the ground and I nearly fell of the ladder as well.
I knew a farmer a few years back. I used to do all his sign work. He was working in a barn on a ladder. He must have fallen straight back and was killed instantly. Poor chap. I felt sorry for his wife. He was so young as well. Had a farm over Tolleshunt D'Arcy somewhere. In fact just a couple of miles away from White House Farm by coincidence.

Thanks for this, Grahame. Do you know the height he fell from, why he died? Was it the height, what he landed on, how he landed - head first? - or some other factor?

Hi Keira. I think it was around 20 feet and he fell backwards onto concrete and hit his head. I can't be entirely sure unless I contact his widow, but I don't feel it would be right to do that?

Thanks for this info, Grahame

[chochokeira]

It has always sounded very fishy to me, to say the least 

To me too, Elizabeth

[chochokeira]

At the time the press said the ladder broke, but that might have been the result of rumour or gossip.
There's mention of the incident here:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050209/halltext/50209h05.htm

Thanks, sarann

[Lorna Lake]

Interesting that the outcome of the Inquest into Taff Jones' death was never made pubic.  I believe it's the "norm" that Inquest outcomes are a matter of public record?  I've heard that this is held under PII too.

[chochokeira]

it is possible to die from falling off a ladder unlikely but it is possible

people die from falling out of bed very rare but it does happen.

it would depend weather he had any health problems that would have been aggravated by a fall.

I've briefly looked into this now and it appears that most deaths which occur as a result of falls from ladders are industrial injuries, often occurring on construction sites and usually involving falls from  c 10' to 20' or so, with the victim falling head first onto concrete. There was one industrial death where the worker fell 6' onto a platform from a bridge.

Of course, thousands of people do survive such falls - though usually sustaining severe injuries.

The few deaths that occur at home due to falls from ladders are often real freak accidents, often involving men around retirement age doing DIY outdoors. One 88 year old man fell from his ladder, head first into a water butt, got wedged there and drowned.

So Taff Jones' death fall was one of just c 15 or so such fatal accidents which occur each year. Factors making it even more unlikely, Jones' fall was one of the very few fatal falls which occur at home, he was not a pensioner and he appears to have been working indoors.

[chochokeira]

Chocho, did the author see the inquest report?

I wish I knew too, sarann.

[chochokeira]

Interesting that the outcome of the Inquest into Taff Jones' death was never made pubic.  I believe it's the "norm" that Inquest outcomes are a matter of public record?  I've heard that this is held under PII too.

That's very interesting, Lorna. Is there any way of determining whether the findings of the Inquest are held under PII, do you think?

[chochokeira]

The following graph shows UK with just 5 annual deaths as a result of falls from ladders:

 Mortality Statistics  Fall on and from ladder (most recent) by country
 VIEW DATA:    Totals     Per capita   
 Definition     Source      Printable version     
 
     Bar Graph     Pie Chart     Map   
 

Showing latest available data. Rank   Countries    Amount   
# 1      United States: 355 deaths     
     
# 2      Japan: 164 deaths     
     
# 3      Germany: 138 deaths     
     
# 4      Czech Republic: 66 deaths     
     
# 5      Poland: 45 deaths     
     
# 6      Canada: 39 deaths     
     
# 7      Hungary: 35 deaths     
     
= 8      Romania: 22 deaths     
     
= 8      Austria: 22 deaths     
     
= 10      Australia: 20 deaths     
     
= 10      Spain: 20 deaths     
     
# 12      Korea, South: 15 deaths     
     
= 13      Colombia: 12 deaths     
     
= 13      Slovakia: 12 deaths     
     
= 13      Moldova: 12 deaths     
     
= 16      Netherlands: 11 deaths     
     
= 16      Finland: 11 deaths     
     
= 16      Brazil: 11 deaths     
     
# 19      Egypt: 9 deaths     
     
= 20      Argentina: 6 deaths     
     
= 20      Mexico: 6 deaths     
     
= 20      Sweden: 6 deaths     
     
# 23      United Kingdom: 5 deaths     
     
= 24      Denmark: 4 deaths     
     
= 24      Croatia: 4 deaths     
     
= 24      New Zealand: 4 deaths     
     
= 27      Cuba: 3 deaths     
     
= 27      Slovenia: 3 deaths     
     
= 27      Norway: 3 deaths     
     
= 27      Latvia: 3 deaths     
     
= 31      Ecuador: 2 deaths     
     
= 31      Lithuania: 2 deaths     
     
= 31      Venezuela: 2 deaths     
     
= 31      Panama: 2 deaths     
     
= 35      Paraguay: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Costa Rica: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Luxembourg: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Estonia: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Belize: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Georgia: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Malta: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Kuwait: 1 deaths     
     
= 35      Puerto Rico: 1 deaths     
     
 Total: 1,083 deaths   
 Weighted average: 25.2 deaths   

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:e3AM53LkrbMJ:www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_fal_on_and_fro_lad-mortality-fall-ladder+ladder+fall+die+suspicious&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk

[Lorna Lake]

Chochokeira - I'll have a look to see what I can find.

[chochokeira]

Chochokeira - I'll have a look to see what I can find.

Thanks, Lorna

[chochokeira]

I should have added that I think the papers said he was painting the gable end, ie outside - if that was reported accurately of course. Depends where the press got their info from. Re the figures above, I suppose we should take into account the popularity of DIY in different countries and general house maintenance trends in those countries; how many of those people were professionals or DIYers

Very true sarann. We don't know how fit he was or what his general health was either. Though we know he was a golfer, do golfer's tend to be fitter than average? Of course, Taff could have been stressed by having been moved off of the Bamber case. Was he on garden leave?

[grahameb]

My brother broke both his feet when he fell off a ladder. My grandmother died by falling out of bed. At those odds I think I'd better make sure my life insurance is up to date.

[nugnug]

i know the police do some terrible things but bumping off the boss no even i dont think they would do that.

[Enigma]

My brother broke both his feet when he fell off a ladder. My grandmother died by falling out of bed. At those odds I think I'd better make sure my life insurance is up to date.

And move to a bungalow in East Anglia!

[Enigma]

Is anyone actually suggesting foul play here. There's a few who seem to be skirting around making an accussation?

My theory is Emu did it. After he bumped off Rod Hull for continually sticking his arm up his arse, he was hired by Essex Police to get Taff Evans, lest he expose the massive conspiracy to frame poor innocent Jeremy. Emu is a known expert in making falls look like very unlucky accidents!

Can you prove my theory wrong?