ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion A ladder to consider

That's the reason I posted these pics, Bob ... I don't think you could 'roll it over', no matter how you tried. This arrangement is SOLID. Maybe it's because the ladder footings are so much wider than the ladder itself; they sort of act like out-riggers.

(Trust me on this; I absolutely loathe heights, and despise ladders. I actually did have a ladder give way during the transition once - resulting in a 'harmless' broken back. I like to thnk I have some 'unique personal expertise' on this subject )

[This message has been edited by renosteinke (edited 01-04-2007).]

Bob,
Umm is that not the spouting of the building?.
Sure, if you want to run wires through that....

I tried as best I could .... but it's a bit hard for a pic to show both 16 ft. of ladder as well as 1" of clearance!

The ladder, as set up, is absolutely NOT touching either the gutter (spouting), or the conduit on the roof. The only place where the ladder contacts anything is at the two ends- those broad cross pieces with rubber caps on them.

John,
Sorry about the spouting comment.
I reckon that this ladder would be an exception to the rule with regard to the overhang above the roof-line.
It seems to have a steady "fixing" to the roof itself.
The largest number of accidents with ladders are caused by people not having the 1:4 angle rule applied, or they stretch out from the ladder they are using instead of moving the ladder across.
Ever dodgily got back onto a ladder that is extended above the roof-line wondering if the ladder is going to move at the bottom as you transfer your wieght on to it?.
Aluminium ladders are bad for it, fibreglass ladders are only marginally better.
Then you also have to think of the spouting that (often) the ladder is resting against, PVC spouting will last about 3 seconds after placing any decent ladder against it.
Then you have a damage issue to work out with the customer.
I'd use this ladder.

{Sad story, one of the last fire calls I attended was to the house of a retired electrician, as a medical co-responder, the guy fell off the fibre-glass ladder he was using while painting his house.
The guy had the ladder up against the house and it used the 1:4 angle rule, what went wrong was, the ground was soggy and it gave way all of a sudden when the guy was up the ladder, the guy was thrown off of the ladder in the other direction and landed on his head, he died at the scene from a broken neck and internal injuries.
Had that ladder been properly seated and tied off, the guy would still be alive today.
Don't cut corners folks!.}

renosteinke, as i just asked in another thread- what would happen then if you got hurt doing it your own way--as you said "i've seen that rule and have a problem with it" (talking about the 3' above the roof line rule). even if you did feel your way was safer. if you were working for a contractor would they be able to refuse part or all responsibilty of paying workman's comp, medical bills, etc.?? after all, you would be knowingly violating an osha rule. i'd really appreciate anyone's opinions. maybe share some previous experiences.

Mark, that's a fair question.

One of the earliest "bloody noses" OSHA received at the hands of the courts had to do with this isue. OSHA mandated one thing; a company had a way they felt was better. OSHA fined ... and lost in court. OSHA is required to consider alternative approaches and specific situations, not just the "letter of the law."

If it became an issue, The first thing I would point out is that the guidelines mentioned here are for extension ladders. That is not an extension ladder in the picture.
I am also confident that I could demonstrate the superiority of this arrangement over a conventional ladder, simply by tying a rope to the top and giving a jerk to the side. This 4-way ladder isn't going anywhere.

The primary goal is accident prevention ... not complying with rules, or arguing blame afterwards.

As for "I have a problem..." statements of mine ... sometimes rules are applied in silly ways, or are simply wrong. They will never be corrected if no one is allowed to challenge them. Your best piece of "safety gear" is between your ears; there just being a rulebook does not mean you should stop using it.

renosteinke, thanks for the reply, that's an interesting story. it's good to know common sense does apply. i have climbed many ladders and sent my workers up them too. safety is always a concern, as it should be.

How often do you come accross a roof line that works this well like this one?
I just use my 28' fiberglass up aganist the roof or gutter extend it past a few feet then use a rubber bungie cord to lock it in place.

These particular ladders are common amongst PoCo's here in NZ, the chain at the top is to rest it against a power pole:




{Picture cropped from an old Trade-me auction I had on file here, hence the bit at the bottom}

Lucky, this ladder is a 16' ladder, with 4' to each section. In practice, using the ladder as shown works well on almost every single story house roof.

The building shown is somewhat taller than a house .. so the ladder does match the roof closer than usual. Most often, the "hinge" of the ladder is higher off the roof.

I'll see if I can find a pic.