# Cleaning Your Gutters is Unhealthy



## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Well, in some cases it can be. No, this isn't some kind of bathroom story either.

A few nights ago our neighbor was on his roof, 2 story home, cleaning out the gutters when we heard yelling and a rattling of his ladder. Something told me to go outside head next door and take a look. Sure enough he was on the ground having just fallen off the roof asking for his family to call 911... they were just first coming out of the house.

His wife gave a garbled series of incorrect numbers for the address at which point she handed the phone to another guy I didn't know ( I assume brother or brother in law) who then gave two "I don't know" answers. I gestured wildly and got him to give me the phone. At which point I gave the correct address and immediately asked for an ambulance to be sent. I then described his condition (alert, in pain, no blood or outward signs of injury, moving all limbs, fall from a 20-25' height, etc. (thanks CERT class)) and they said help was on the way and advised no medicines be given. 

During this time I had walked away a bit. As I hung up and turned back they were trying to give him a pain pill (codine maybe I think I heard someone say?) I immediately told them not to, then moved the ladder from leaning awkwardly against the house to a safe location in the yard. (yeah, this was a amateur mistake on my part not making sure the scene was safe before doing anything else)

Everyone was instructed not to move him and I then went and waited out by the street to flag down the emergency vehicles. Police showed up in barely a minute, ambulance within 5. Found out late yesterday he's got a broken vertebrae and will be in the hospital 3 weeks with many more of rehab and physical therapy.


This whole experience got me thinking... one accident... or working too long and getting sloppy resulting in an accident is going to knock him out for a month or more from doing anything and at least a few months from anything other than very basic tasks. Without an ambulance and a hospital to go to what would he or his family have done? Would he have even survived?

He is the, I believe, only income source for his family. If he was gardening, for a month, and probably two, none of the plants would be taken care of... during prime growing (and harvest) season.

We contacted the neighbors in the area and will all help keep up his place for the next few months while he can't and his wife and child are spending time with him at the hospital. What if he didn't have neighnors to step in and help out?

Put yourself in a post SHTF scenario at a remote BOL with a small group (maybe just your family), no one to call for help and imagine an accident like this. Now what? Fish meds and some battle dressings aren't going to do much in this case.


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## lovetogrow (Jan 25, 2011)

That fellow was lucky to have you there CulexPipiens! 

Sounds like a real rag tag clueless group of folk I'd hope would be nowhere near me and mine in a SHIT situation!


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## helicopter5472 (Feb 25, 2013)

Well I'll take cleaning gutters off my "to do" list.
I agree this could possibly be one of the bad downfalls of society failure. In a SHTF world if he didn't die he probably wish he would. Maybe not being able to work ever again and being in pain (I know, I have had two back surgeries). Now he be becomes more a liability than a productive member, requiring addition help from his members. If you were by yourself, it's game over.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

When cleaning gutters or doing any work on the roof, it's advisable to have a harness. He's lucky you were around with the calm and knowledge to get hime help.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Yep, brother in-law crushed the cartilage in both of his heels when he fell 8 feet and landed on a concrete curbing. In a wheel chair for months. Happened to my grandpa too, only it was one heel and the load of firewood rolled and when he jumped off he landed on his heel. He was in a wheel chair for 3 months.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

CulexPipiens said:


> Put yourself in a post SHTF scenario at a remote BOL with a small group (maybe just your family), no one to call for help and imagine an accident like this. Now what? Fish meds and some battle dressings aren't going to do much in this case.


Sure would be handy to have some pain pills, muscle relaxers, back braces, hoyer lift, etc. But honestly, some good safety measures taken when dealing with heights or dangerous equipment will prevent most serious accidents. He should've had someone out there with him holding the ladder. Perhaps he didn't have the knowledge necessary to be on the ladder safely or perhaps his physical condition was a barrier to its safe use. At any rate, we will have to be VERY careful post SHTF.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

lovetogrow said:


> That fellow was lucky to have you there CulexPipiens!
> 
> Sounds like a real rag tag clueless group of folk I'd hope would be nowhere near me and mine in a SHIT situation!


His wife has bad allergies and pretty much never goes outside and his kid is pretty sheltered too (do to an issue with an "ex) but he's normally always out there doing stuff. Doesn't appear to be a prepper in any way but would be a decent physical labor kind of guy willing to take on pretty much whatever needs to be done.

On the other hand the neighbors stepping up to help them out is encouraging. The community factor can't be overlooked as a group willing to pull together can give you a lot to work with I believe.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

tsrwivey said:


> Sure would be handy to have some pain pills, muscle relaxers, back braces, hoyer lift, etc. But honestly, some good safety measures taken when dealing with heights or dangerous equipment will prevent most serious accidents. He should've had someone out there with him holding the ladder. Perhaps he didn't have the knowledge necessary to be on the ladder safely or perhaps his physical condition was a barrier to its safe use. At any rate, we will have to be VERY careful post SHTF.


Sounds like he was off the ladder and actually on the roof when he slipped. He described grabbing the gutter and hanging their briefly before losing his grip and coming straight down on his feet (compressing and breaking the spine I'm guessing) and then falling to his back. The ladder was somewhat askew so I don't know if he hit it on the way down or kicked at it trying to get his footing before slipping or what.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

If the neighbors are coming together to take care of his place then you have a pretty tight group of neighbors. That could be a great asset.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

helicopter5472 said:


> Well I'll take cleaning gutters off my "to do" list.
> I agree this could possibly be one of the bad downfalls of society failure. In a SHTF world if he didn't die he probably wish he would. Maybe not being able to work ever again and being in pain (I know, I have had two back surgeries). Now he be becomes more a liability than a productive member, requiring addition help from his members. *If you were by yourself, it's game over.*


I am in the by myself group, well, there is the puppy. :-})

I have long ago come to this realization. I am as careful as I can be but accidents do happen, that is why they are called accidents. I have heard that the human will to survive is very strong, I have never had to test this personally.

As prepper's we have to be able to accept situations like this, and their outcomes. When I regained consciousness, would I have been able to move? If not, yeah, most likely game over. If I could move, would I be able to reach inside or a point of safety? Could I construct something like a brace or crutches that would allow me to do some work, even on a painful limited basis.

I am sure I would try to do everything possible to continue but have to be able to accept if I cannot.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Proper equipment sometimes helps.*

This individual made two critical mistakes 1- no safety hardness, 2-no ground support at all. This type of accident is very common but even experts have safety equipment and support, going 20-30 feet up in the air to do manual work requires some common sense, knowledge and equipment and never being alone while doing this type of work is primal.
""After I told my nephew that a concrete block was not enough to support the weight of his truck to do a break job we all went inside for lunch then we heard the explosion, he went outside and the block had exploded, he came back in with a pinkish color; the proper jack stands where in the garage in the corner collecting dust.""


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Extension ladder is getting heavier and every year it's further up to the second story gutters so I cheat. I borrow a bucket truck from work.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

He has never heard of extendable gutter cleaning wands?


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

We had "leaf guard" gutters installed a decade ago. Haven't cleaned since. They really do work. I'll be passing along info on them to him when he gets back home.

http://www.leafguard.com/


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Gutter cleaning tool idea*

This in not new and he idea can be change to use air from a small compressor or even a pressure cleaner attachment can be made out of copper tubing 
http://www.householdgoods.com/gutter-cleaner.html
and mistakes...........


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## notyermomma (Feb 11, 2014)

A local celebrity in my community broke his neck about a year and a half ago. He and his wife were doing housekeepery on a rainy day. As they cleaned up, he noticed that the cat was stuck on a rafter in a garage. He climbed up wearing a pair of Crocs ... after a few weeks in a medically induced coma and several more months of therapy he's been graduated as a "high functioning quadruplegic."

He says his main mistake was the shoes as the biggest wild card in the whole combination. I wouldn't know since I wasn't there ... but it's certainly a cautionary tale about how life can change in an instant.


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