ladder safety

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frans

TreeHouser
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This picture showed up in our local newspaper.

Universally, I think tree workers hate ladders. But when needed, they sure are helpful.
We have always 'footed' a ladder: One guy climbs the ladder, and another stands on the lowest rung. The idea being that the entire weight of the the person footing the ladder keeps the base from shifting or sliding out.

This firefighter is hanging on under the ladder while the other climbs it.

seems to me a lame ass way to do it and rather unsafe.

What do you other tree guys say?
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Seems like the leverage is all wrong. Firefighters seem to be intelligent safety conscious individuals though, so what do I know.
 
Another method is to drive your halligan at the foundation and tie off to it with a piece of webbing.

That works when you are short handed.

Honestly, I dont know why they teach it that way. I dont like it.

I prefer to stand on the ground and hold the ladder. Figure I can slow someone down if they come down the wrong way.


One nice thing about doing it the way the picture shows is that you dont have to move if someone is struggling down the ladder with a victim.
 
I ladder up two to three roofs a day. Sweeping chimneys. A ladder can certainly be used safely by one person(I work alone) it just has to be set up properly.

With your toes against the bottom of the ladder you want the angle of the ladder to roughly coincide with your arms fully outstretched. Easy peasy.

No one holds a ladder for me ever. But I agree that looks like a lame way to do it in the picture. Less effective and fully open to a injury by something accidentally dropped by the person ascending the ladder.
 
As stupid as it looks I think that's the actual way to do it. No one gets kicked in the face, and by leaning back, he's holding it in place far better than just putting your feet on it. He can control the top part and the bottom part from his position, standing on the bottom you just have the bottom part. Best is tying it off up top. And ladders suck
 
I am with Kyle...I was taught that method somewhere along the line. I reckon it adds your weight to the "grounding" downward force that helps keep it from slipping.

I don't mind heights...I really do not like ladders. (except when I am tied in...I did come off a ladder painting my house years back...25 feet up, as I leaned back to paint the soffit/eaves I felt my balance slowly pass the point of no return. I was tied into a highline I had over the house. I just relaxed, watched the ladder fall away and rode the slowly tightening highline until I was about 10 feet off the ground...without the overhead safety I would have really been screwed. I hate ladders.)
 
Tree09 said:
As stupid as it looks I think that's the actual way to do it. No one gets kicked in the face, and by leaning back, he's holding it in place far better than just putting your feet on it. He can control the top part and the bottom part from his position, standing on the bottom you just have the bottom part. Best is tying it off up top. And ladders suck
Click to expand...

I agree, sir.
 
If you look up in this pic you can see the feet of a couple of my ladders. The shorter one on the left(28') has adjustment for levelling the feet too. Essential IMO to have a level, stable ladder. I almost always use standoffs for accessing roofs. They make a ladder much more stable and as a bonus, protect gutters too.

IMG_1573.jpg
 
I'm the best sweep. 8)

You'll notice hanging off of the back of the bedslide is a hose and air nozzle. Can't do a clean job if you don't start with clean equipment. I clean/blow off everything everyday.
 
I live compressed air. I just bought a six gallon air compressor to keep on my tree trailer. I top it off before a job and get to clean me and saws and everything else at the end of the day. Great looking rig you got.
 
Would you rather have a dropped something on the semi-shielded underside, or a dropped whole person on the top-side. Someone slipping could easily break the neck of the person below.
 
Agreed. Great rig, and a great biz there, Justin. I considered it myself a thousand years ago when it looked bleak for getting on permanent with the USFS. I could have been a contenda!
 
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  • #15
O.k. So the thought is it is safer for the ladder holder in the case of the ladder climber falling off.
But what about when the person on the roof gets on the ladder? In that case the weight can easily kick out the foot of the ladder.

From what everyone says, it seems like the entire point of hanging on the underside is to protect the person holding the ladder, not the person climbing it.
So, as soon as the ladder goes wonky, the person holding it can just let go.

With my method, the persons weight is holding the foot of the ladder secure to the ground. When the climber begins the climb up, the footing is not necessary. When the climber comes down, the last few feet is not necessary because all the weight is now firmly at the base.

The way it is pictured, I truly think this is a stupid and dangerous way to 'do' ladder safety.
 
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  • #16
SeanKroll said:
Would you rather have a dropped something on the semi-shielded underside, or a dropped whole person on the top-side. Someone slipping could easily break the neck of the person below.
Click to expand...

From what you say, the entire point of holding the ladder is to protect the person holding the ladder not the person climbing it? Uhhhh, right
 
It's not tho. By leaning back he's holding the ladder in position both top and bottom. You can't exert much force standing on something. It's unnatural I agree, but it's the way safety people who have tested both methods say is best
 
Several years ago I was trying to rescue a squirrel that had fallen into the chimney vent pipe on this house. The cedar shakes and deck had that slick green moss scum. I put a rubber mat under the ladder feet and thought I was good to go. Was just about to make the first step to the roof and the ladder slipped out. Fortunately I was tied off. The rope caught me, my toe caught the ladder, and there I was.

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I may not know much about the ladder holding debate. But I guarantee you standoffs would help your stability in that situation greatly. If you set the ladder right it 'shares' the load somewhat between feet and standoffs on the roof.
 
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  • #23
Ladders freak me out. Over the years i have seen two serious accidents from them. One crippled the guy. He now lives in a wheelchair.

I guess i just wont trust the guy hanging on the underside. Seen too many guys just let go of stuff when the going got serious
 
That's down to the guys doing the spotting, not the ladder or it's settings. Apportion blame where it is deserved.
 
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