Even though I prefer not to, when necessary I do OK on ladders. I do insist that I’m the one to open and set up the ladder though, to many careless folks out there.
Ladders, you skeered?
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franzas
Member
having my feet 10 ft off the ground is about my limit.
It sucks at the refinery when I have to go take readings off gauges 3 stories up. I'll take a solid 2 minutes on that ladder...
It sucks at the refinery when I have to go take readings off gauges 3 stories up. I'll take a solid 2 minutes on that ladder...
ACORN
Member
About 10' is my limit. I have 2 gutter spikes sticking out on the front of my house about 30' up. I thought about approaching from the roof but leaning over the eaves at that height makes my sphincter pucker just thinking about it.
Dad had a pro roofer repair the roof on a dormer on his little 1-1/2 story home. One of the roofers slipped and fell to the sidewalk, spent about 8 mos. in a coma and died.
I don't care who knows I don't like heights.
Dad had a pro roofer repair the roof on a dormer on his little 1-1/2 story home. One of the roofers slipped and fell to the sidewalk, spent about 8 mos. in a coma and died.
I don't care who knows I don't like heights.
.
Frank46
US Veteran
Another little story. Osha regs says you have to have a safety harness and be able to tie yourself off separate from what ever lifting rig you use. So here I am 65 feet in the air trying to change a red light on our tank level alarm system. But there is no place to tie off if the man lif I was in fell over. Our security guards used to race around the dock and sometimes try to get a little air when they went over the hump that covered the pipelines. Called up my welder and one truck at each end of the road blocking traffic. Had 40 mile an hour winds that day and that lift was really rockin. I hate ladders. Going down into a tunnel that was built about 1915 and under the east river no problem.Tunnel was 280 feet deep. Course they had this little elevator to go up and down. Frank
when climbing to top of roof on ladder the bottom was on a deck that had some moss on it . i didnt see it climbed that ladder a few times that day working on a concrete roof. the bottom started to sip away from building i climbed faster your mind races if this falls im gunna break my face and a leg, at last second i put my arm through the last hole on ladder to roof top that saved me from falling my coworker pulled me up. ever since then ive been nervos wont climb high at all.
webley green
Member
Well, I've found that as one gets a bit more age on them, the heights seem to get higher. Don't heal up as fast as one used to. I painted on a plank between to 30 ft ladders with ladder jacks when I was in my mid 20s for several years while working on my home. These days a six foot step ladder suits me fine.
and went and bought me a bucket truck 
Your son is smart. Ladders are "danged dangerous!" (I'd use another word but the Boss or one of his henchmen might ding me.)
I hate ladders and NEVER use them unless I absolutely have to.
I hate ladders and NEVER use them unless I absolutely have to.
hangnoose
Member
LADDERS
NOT afraid of heights exactly, but a good healthy respect for gravity & the knowledge that I can't take a fall/bounce as well as I used to. The neighbors and wife think I'm crazy for doing my own tree work in my condition/shape, But I go slow/methodical/safe & so far so good. A few good ideas if able: secure the ladder in 2 places with a ratchet strap, use a safety harness, position the ladder if possible so if anything falls from above it doesn't hit you or the ladder. Personally I'm more afraid & have fallen off more little 3 step ladders changing the clocks twice a year. A hard hat & eye protection is never a bad idea when working on stuff over your head.
NOT afraid of heights exactly, but a good healthy respect for gravity & the knowledge that I can't take a fall/bounce as well as I used to. The neighbors and wife think I'm crazy for doing my own tree work in my condition/shape, But I go slow/methodical/safe & so far so good. A few good ideas if able: secure the ladder in 2 places with a ratchet strap, use a safety harness, position the ladder if possible so if anything falls from above it doesn't hit you or the ladder. Personally I'm more afraid & have fallen off more little 3 step ladders changing the clocks twice a year. A hard hat & eye protection is never a bad idea when working on stuff over your head.
As a pipefitter/welder I have sure done my share of working off ladders/scaffolds or just using then to get to where the work is. In the old days the ladders most contractors had were little better than firewood. Cracked/strapped together, tons of pain on them and their name burned in with a branding iron in many places. For some strange reason I managed to survive that time in history.
I did use a sledgehammer on a few when no one was watching as that was the only way to get rid of them. For some reason most contractors had a thing about buying good safe ladders!
Now with OSHA type regulations and aggressive insurance companies the ladder situation has gotten much better. Safety harnesses or climbing belts are now mandatorily used and have saved many a climber.
Some of my work consisted of hanging in Bosuns chairs or a work cage hanging off of a crane. You can get a great view like that at 300’.
One day I did take a nasty fall (20’) and busted myself up pretty bad. After 3 weeks in the hospital and out of work for 4 months I made my mind up about climbing. My rule was it was not a question of how high it was but how safe or comfortable I felt. On some jobs I would work at extreme heights and other places much lower I would not do it. I did find do to my experience I made a good “ground man” A ground man is always needed when you have people in the air. Getting needed tools or parts, making up items to be used in the air.
I did use a sledgehammer on a few when no one was watching as that was the only way to get rid of them. For some reason most contractors had a thing about buying good safe ladders!
Now with OSHA type regulations and aggressive insurance companies the ladder situation has gotten much better. Safety harnesses or climbing belts are now mandatorily used and have saved many a climber.
Some of my work consisted of hanging in Bosuns chairs or a work cage hanging off of a crane. You can get a great view like that at 300’.
One day I did take a nasty fall (20’) and busted myself up pretty bad. After 3 weeks in the hospital and out of work for 4 months I made my mind up about climbing. My rule was it was not a question of how high it was but how safe or comfortable I felt. On some jobs I would work at extreme heights and other places much lower I would not do it. I did find do to my experience I made a good “ground man” A ground man is always needed when you have people in the air. Getting needed tools or parts, making up items to be used in the air.
I have over a thousand hours in small airplanes. I have made a few parachute jumps. I've climbed to the top of the mast on three ships and done interior stack inspections on two of them.
I *hate* ladders.
I *hate* ladders.
About 10 years ago I was mounting a flood light on a pole at the corner of the garage. I climbed the ladder and I stepped off into space instead f the garage roof, I had just been fitted with bifocals so I'll blame that.
In my mind it took about three minutes to make that 8-10 foot fall. I kept thinking now I'll break my back or neck and be paralyzed. But thank God none of that happened. I fell flat as a board on the lawn. I moved my toes, ok there, moved my hands, all good there too and started laughing at myself. I did have some cuts where the glasses hit my face and a big toe was broken or fractured but everything else was ok and I finished the light project and drove home that all happened at the fishing camp about 45 miles away.
So, I still use ladders but am extra careful of them, I believe a set of stabilizer arms makes them much safer and I use them where I can.
Steve W
In my mind it took about three minutes to make that 8-10 foot fall. I kept thinking now I'll break my back or neck and be paralyzed. But thank God none of that happened. I fell flat as a board on the lawn. I moved my toes, ok there, moved my hands, all good there too and started laughing at myself. I did have some cuts where the glasses hit my face and a big toe was broken or fractured but everything else was ok and I finished the light project and drove home that all happened at the fishing camp about 45 miles away.
So, I still use ladders but am extra careful of them, I believe a set of stabilizer arms makes them much safer and I use them where I can.
Steve W
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One of my more memorable falls involved tearing down a poorly built one story addition on a restaraunt.It was in the winter,working alone on the icy roof when I crashed through and landed,sitting on a desk.My ribs were too sore to pull myself back up,so I had to kick a hole through the wall to get out.
I use a ladder when ever I have a need for one....I got to get a taller one for the gutters on my two story house!
I have only fallen once - I put the ladder up against the gutter - guess what moved away from the ladder and fell!!
Dumped me about six feet onto my lower back on the ladder, which beat me to the ground!! That hurt for a few months...but, most things heal eventually!!
I have only fallen once - I put the ladder up against the gutter - guess what moved away from the ladder and fell!!
Dumped me about six feet onto my lower back on the ladder, which beat me to the ground!! That hurt for a few months...but, most things heal eventually!!
jeff85
Member
I graduated from ladders to swing stages.
You get great views from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower on the outside.
You get great views from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower on the outside.
Thirty years of climbing rickety wooden windmill towers tends to wear on a feller.. Ladder rungs coming loose because the nails are rusted out.
80 years of weather on a 1x12 board platform ain't too reassuring neither.
Of course the wind don't never stop blowin' so you got to waltz around that platform as the wind changes and the wheel comes a lookin' to knock you off of there.
I was glad when a younger generation of hotshots said I was too old to be climbing up there to change the oil and such. I din't argue for even a minute.
80 years of weather on a 1x12 board platform ain't too reassuring neither.
Of course the wind don't never stop blowin' so you got to waltz around that platform as the wind changes and the wheel comes a lookin' to knock you off of there.
I was glad when a younger generation of hotshots said I was too old to be climbing up there to change the oil and such. I din't argue for even a minute.
If there is a antena tower hooked to the house I will go up on the roof. If ladder is the only way forget it.
I work on some sort of ladder almost every day, from 2' "Step" ladders up to using "The BEAST", a 40' fiberglass extension. The most used ladder I own is a 4' "A" frame ladder.
I own, erect and use my own scaffolding. I'm an OSHA certified scaffold erector and moveable man-lift, scissor lift, extension boom lift and articulating knuckle boom lift operator.
Even with all the safety training I've had I've been hurt by a ladder a couple of times and hurt once by a collapsing scaffold tower when a fork truck driver knocked over a pallet rack into the scaffold.
Heights don't bother me.
I'm not scared of ladders or scaffolding, BUT I do respect them.
Class III
I own, erect and use my own scaffolding. I'm an OSHA certified scaffold erector and moveable man-lift, scissor lift, extension boom lift and articulating knuckle boom lift operator.
Even with all the safety training I've had I've been hurt by a ladder a couple of times and hurt once by a collapsing scaffold tower when a fork truck driver knocked over a pallet rack into the scaffold.
Heights don't bother me.
I'm not scared of ladders or scaffolding, BUT I do respect them.
Class III
