ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Ladder Safety?

I don't allow "homeowner" grade ladders even in my home. Man, just one little slip or fall could cost you a ton more than a lifetime of buying quality ladders. I was helping out my father-in-law recently and I think I may bring my own ladders next time.

As a cable tv installer, I own 2 fiberglass ladders. 1 28ft type 1A, and a 12ft extension. I have had the 12 footer for 5 years, and I believe it may be a few years older. It is still in good shape. I am on my 4th 28ft. The first one I sold, as I thought I was getting out of the buisness. Some of my buddys decieded to use the second one as a ladder into the salt water canal in Key West, FL. It seemed to corrode the protective layer and was rough and itchy on the skin. I fell a tree on the 3rd. I have had this one for a couple of years, and still works great. Some may frown on the dents in some of the rungs, but at $375, It works fine to me.

Doug,
Yes, we have the same load rating for our ladders, but I think that ours may be a tad higher, us FF's are a wee bit fatter over here!.
Big Jim,
I really hate them homeowner-grade ladders, the ones we have here are really flimsy and twist like you wouldn't believe.
You'd never see me on one of them ladders.
Regardless of what I said above about Fibreglass extension ladders, I find these ladders to be the safest ladders to work off, provided that they are looked after.
For a given length, they offer better stability and they don't (obviously) conduct electricity, although the aluminium rungs do.
I use fibreglass ladders for Faults work and with the addition of a head chain and rope, these are the best sorts of ladders for this sort of work.
And they are light enough to carry on your own, unlike wooden extension ladders of the same hieght.
Would you believe that we still use aluminium ladders for Substation work, but even so, only the most experienced of Staff are allowed inside the Station itself.
It's just a matter of watching what you are doing.

Trumpy are you using aluminum ladders for electric work or just for fire service?

The company I work for has strict safety policies.

A damaged ladder is never to be repaired, they literally get cut up with a sawzall and tossed in the dumpster.

The construction sites get wood ladders and those of us with vans get fiberglass ladders.


That is scary that the ladder was in service, we would toss a fiberglass ladder long before it got that bad.

Heres some photos I took on the way to work.

In God they trust.







[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 11-29-2003).]

Gidday there Bob!,
We use Aluminium ladders both in the Fire Service and for Electrical work.
Although there is a trend towards Fibreglass in the Utility companies here,
before Fibreglass we used wooden extension ladders for climbing poles and so forth, but they don't last too well after being stored on the trucks and our predominantly damp air here and the problems with splinters from them, thankfully rules their use out!.
We saw our damaged ladders up too, repairs are only done on minor damage (like popped rivets) anything worse, the ladder is trashed.
Wooden ladders are never repaired where the strings or rungs are damaged.
Hey, thanks for the great (if not very worrying ) pics, Bob, I'm not scared of hieghts at all, but I can feel my knees getting weak just looking at them photo's!.
BTW, Bob, is that lower extension ladder actually sitting on the roof?.
Wouldn't a cherry-picker be safer?.
{Message edited to add last questions }

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 11-29-2003).]

Iwire (Bob),
Would you please consider posting these photo's over in the "Photo's Submitted For Discussion" Forum?.
Just a note, mate.