Take your lights down safely
ALPENA, Mich.– If you’ve strung your lights along the eaves of your roof, you’ll likely be using a ladder to take them down.
Risk Reduction Officer Andy Marceau says you should never take down your lights alone.
“You should always go with somebody. Somebody should be holding your ladder if you’re going to climb the ladder. If you’re an older adult, I really recommend you get your grandkids or kids over to help you get the lights down.”
Marceau says unsecured ladders are risky any time of year, but pose a worse risk in the winter.
“The ground is frozen now, there’s no give in it. And you can break a hip, you can break an arm, a leg. And heaven forbid you hit your head and have a brain bleed.”
He also says you should avoid stretching yourself too far from the ladder. Instead, take the time to move the ladder and climb back up.
“Just do a little bit at a time, move [the ladder] over, secure footing, and go back up the ladder. Yes, it may take you a little bit more time, but safety, safety has to be the number one priority here.”
Marceau also advises getting professional help to remove roof–mounted lights.
