I know I’ve talked about do-it-yourself dangers a lot lately, but it seems like more needs to be said. Why? Because one of my co-workers came in the other day talking about how Angie’s List might have saved her life.

That’s a comment that will make you pay attention.

It seems my co-worker – who knows better – got a little excited while doing yard work over the weekend even though she didn’t have the proper equipment and was working alone. She did a fine job using an electric trimmer to edge her shrubs. Then she remembered the dead branches in a tree and went for the chainsaw and the only ladder she had – a rickety, wooden one.

She was actually up on the top step of the ladder stretching to reach the first dead branch when she finally paid attention to the warning bells going off in her head. She said she couldn’t stop thinking about the statistics of death and serious injury that come from ladder-related incidents. We’ve reported about these statistics over the years, and I’ve done several media interviews on the subject.

It was the echo of those comments that got her down safely, and I’m grateful for it.

As you get your home ready for winter – fertilizing your lawn, cleaning gutters, trimming trees, raking leaves, checking for problems with windows, foundations or your roof – please do it safely. Or better yet, hire a professional who has both the ability and equipment necessary to get the job done right.

And if you have a rickety ladder like my co-worker, please follow her example and put it away. Better yet, introduce it to the scrap heap.