Ladder Safety

**Batch** · 12-13-2009, 09:51 PM

I work with ladders on a daily basis. I have seen a guy have a career ending injury when he set his ladder behind a parking bumper instead of in front. Ladder kicked out and he landed on that parking bumper and SHATTERED his ankle. I mean many pieces...

Had another guy slide and ride a ladder down. He gripped tightly and he messed up his hip, both wrists, knocked a tooth out and through his lip and something like broken ribs or a messed up back.

Just a couple of years ago had a guy who was a friend of a friend painting a store at night. He was working only 12' up. He fell and they found him lying dead in a huge puddle of blood the next morning. I believe they said he died from a head injury. But, by all descriptions it sounds like he would died from blood loss also.

The worst spill I took from a ladder was a fall onto a freshly mulched ground from 22' or so. The worst fall I ever took was 8 stories unto a concrete roof. I don't think I got any mulligans left...

**crashdive123** · 12-13-2009, 10:14 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEU-qOelCkA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N99B_vdJ-FU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwq6tpYyGgw

**Ole WV Coot** · 12-13-2009, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

I actually ran over my own fingers pulling myself across a river on a cable car. That d@#$ wheel stopped right on my finger. I don't know which hurt worse. Stopping with all my weight on my finger or just knowing I had to pull some more to get it off. My one and only time on a cable care.

I think everyone should have that decision to make. I was so banged up by the first few years the nice inside job even hurt. Guess we got down just in time. I did everything but burn a pole. To be serious for once everyday climbing with hooks or ladders should be taken more seriously than what I did. I was lucky and never really got hurt with all my mistakes but lots of men were crippled. Do it long enough and the odds will catch up. I joke about it now, but it is serious and if it bothers you to climb, DON'T. May end up like me

**Rick** · 12-14-2009, 05:23 AM

Being lucky is better than being good in my book. I only burned one. It happened to be a railroad pole. I cut out as I brought the strap around and cut back in about 6 feet off the ground. Bear hugged that @#$#@ all the way down. Took about a 3 foot splinter in my right arm but otherwise unhurt. As luck would have it, the splinter only went in about 1/2 inch. Did more harm to my shirt than me. I've seen guys with pencil sized splinters in their chest and watched the head lineman pull them out with line pliers. Hurt me just to watch.

**Ken** · 12-14-2009, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

Took about a 3 foot splinter in my right arm but otherwise unhurt.

Yeah, but when it enters your arm through your head......... just sayin'.

**gryffynklm** · 12-14-2009, 10:25 AM

Thanks for the post Ken.

I hate cleaning gutters There is a guy who knows a guy that can build one of these.

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**Ken** · 12-14-2009, 10:28 AM

I'm not afraid of heights, but I cringed just looking at that thing.

**Rick** · 12-14-2009, 10:43 AM

This guy is one of my favs. Can you say....BbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZap!

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**gryffynklm** · 12-14-2009, 10:44 AM

I found the original link for the truck ladder photo. If you think that was scary look at the others.

http://www.nmsu.edu/safety/news/dumb...ts_ladders.htm

**crashdive123** · 12-14-2009, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Rick

This guy is one of my favs. Can you say....BbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZap!

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At least he has safety goggles on.

**Ken** · 12-14-2009, 11:43 AM

So how many of those bottles of liquor (background left) can we identify?

**hunter63** · 12-14-2009, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Pretty good post. You did leave out using only the rails, not the rungs to hold going up or down a ladder. I carried my 28' fiberglass on my shoulder. I unlocked and lifted the feet to the ground leaving the top on the truck, got under the balance point and lifted the front. Easy to carry and use the old fireman method when setting the ladder, stand straight, hold the ladder with both hands, ladder feet near yours, top of ladder extending above a roof line 2 rungs.

This is also my 2nd favorite method.

The 1st favorite is to have the apprentice pick it up off the truck, carry it, set it up.
Then after checking his methods, ***** him out, correct the situation, send him up and tie it off.
Then haul up my tools.......
Putting it back on the truck is the reverse of this.

**Ole WV Coot** · 12-14-2009, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by hunter63

This is also my 2nd favorite method.

The 1st favorite is to have the apprentice pick it up off the truck, carry it, set it up.
Then after checking his methods, ***** him out, correct the situation, send him up and tie it off.
Then haul up my tools.......
Putting it back on the truck is the reverse of this.

Did I work with you back in the early 60s? At 20 I worked with a guy in his 50s. First job I put my tool belt over my shoulder, headed out and made the mistake of asking him where his tools were. He just looked at me and said "Son that's what you're for". Lasted 5yrs and I learned real quick I had to pass his inspection. Those were the good old days, I had me several gofers for 20yrs and kinda miss having one

Beats kicking your dog.

**Rick** · 12-14-2009, 07:50 PM

That's the difference between a head lineman and a lineman. Well, that and a lot of coffee breaks.

**hunter63** · 12-15-2009, 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

Did I work with you back in the early 60s? At 20 I worked with a guy in his 50s. First job I put my tool belt over my shoulder, headed out and made the mistake of asking him where his tools were. He just looked at me and said "Son that's what you're for". Lasted 5yrs and I learned real quick I had to pass his inspection. Those were the good old days, I had me several gofers for 20yrs and kinda miss having one

Beats kicking your dog.

LOL, I'm old but not THAT old......But hey, that's the way it was/is.

Most of them I actually tried to teach them something, figured that if I did that, I could just watch.
Still, you have to understand, that when you had them do something, if it went wrong, I might not be my fault, but it still was my responsibility.

'Course there were some that shouldn't trusted with anything heavy/sharp or valuable.
Never lost one..................