Ladders What Not to Do !!

[Wgoodrich]

Guys if you are like I was this morning being a bit relaxed and a bit lazy then you might desire to take the same short cut I did today. I got up and messed around the house a while then decided to go work on painting that rental of mine some more. I was listening to the Colts game not paying much attention. It was within 1/2 hour of starting work actually the first time I set the ladder to paint. I was just using a 6' step ladder under a porch roof. The renter had two tires with two steel wheels stacked no top of the two tires. I was only going up about 5' so I skipped moving the tires and leaned the ladder on the wall over the tires. Why not only 5' feeling lazy just starting to work ?

The ladder popped out from under me and I had a knock down drag out face fight with those steel rims on the way down. DON'T DO AS I DID DO AS YOU SHOULD DO !!! PROPERLY SET YOUR LADDER. TAKE NO SHORT CUTS EVEN IF ONLY 5' HIGH !!! Enjoy the pictures. I have to take it with a painful life experience learning even after it all quits hurting and I have to go to the dentist for a root canal. Notice one a couple of teeth chipped on the ends and sore being knocked loose. Notice the one broke off at the gum needing surgery or root canal. Very painful costly learning experience.

Hope you learn from example and not life experience about being lazy, taking a short cut and getting too comfortable being elevated on ladders. Ladders need great respect or they WILL take respect from you.

Be careful

Wg

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/storage/forumanswerpics/wgfacedamage1.jpg

[mdshunk]

Jeeze... sorry to hear that. I hope you don't take offense in my finding humor in the "If older is better..." saying on your T-shirt in the photo. It sort of add punctuation to your whole day's ordeal.

I know I've done the same thing countless times. Now, you're scaring me. Especially all the dental work.... yeeow.

[Jacksnap]

Wg,

Sorry to hear you took such a beating. I'll know to bet on the rims, next time! Honestly, that's a heck of a way to celibrate the Colt's victory! (Uhh.. you were 'rioting' for the Colt's, right?) Hope that is your last bad ladder experience, however having to go through a root canal is probably going to be worse :( ....ugh!

When I retired from Verizon last November, 8 days later I was on a step ladder and mis-judged what step I was on. The long drop resulted in a severly broken ankle, 5 hour surgery and 6 days hospitalized, 3 casts in 3 months... all thankfully, heavily sediated and well fed!

http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/collections/1988/images/df1988-1584.gif

[Wgoodrich]

The rest of that saying on my shirt says. "If older is better then I must be approaching magnificent !! Right now I am NOT feeling good let alone magnificent. That picture is a repeat of about 5 times over thirty years that has happened to me. First time I was wiring a suspended furnace in a lumber company show room about 16' up. Tile floor was waxed WELL. Ladder slid out from under me. I grabbed everything I could no the way down. No broken bones but boy that furnace, and about 8 surface mounted medicine cabinets were ripped off that wall or ceiling on my way down. Happened when the show room was crowded with customers too. Real fun !!

One time a runner on an aluminum ladder gave out bending in half taking me down from about 25' up. I rode the ladder down. That one hurt too with many bruises but no broken bones.

One time about 25' up a fiberglass ladder spun on gravel on me leaving me hanging by a 12/2 wire of a light fixture. I had a death grip on that wire like you have no idea. Others heard me yelling and reset the ladder for me. No falling that time.

Once climbed about 35' up on an extension ladder already set by the builder that went around the house. I walke out to the center of a walk board on a set of wall jacks. I was just finishing hanging that high flood light and was walking to the ladder on the walk board when the builder came around the corner and screamed for me not to move. I was only 2 steps from the ladder and went ahead and climbed down the ladder wondering who he was yelling at. When I got to him he told me he had just set the wall jacks with one roofing nail per wall jack and went around the house to get the proper material to secure that wall jack. I had THE SCREAMEN MEMEES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

I have been lucky many times over the years. When you spend that long on ladders accidents become more at risk just due to number of hours on them of exposure to high places on construction sites. I was lucky, but then many times I have been very stupid thinking back of some read dumb why not risk it because it is faster etc.

I have been lucky. Hope everyone else is too. Hope my stupid moves are over with now that I must be approaching maginficent, HA HA.

Wg

[Roger]

Are the rims ok? Be a shame if they were damaged. Suppose we have all had our encounters with ladders. One that comes to mind was outside at work changing 480 volt 3 phase building light. This light is 30 feet up. We normally used scissors lift. But I decided to get the godzilla ladder that takes ten chinamen and a baseball team to carry, against the advice of my co-workers I should add. Well after soliciting some help getting the ladder raised up and set, I needed to compensate for uneven ground. So I got some 2X4 stock and shimmed up one leg. Up I go and as you have all ready figured out the 2X4's said adios amigo and the top of the ladder started sliding down the side of the building. I'm on this ladder at about 20' (seems like 100') and white knuckled riding this ladder trying to lean the opposite direction. The ladder stopped finally but I couldnt go anywhere. Eventually a couple of the guys came out and jumping on the opportunity asked what was I doing with the ladder sideways on the building. Nice to work with guys like that. Came out without a scratch just damaged ego.

[Dpetersen]

Don't try this at home...

[Homer]

WG,

I'm glad that you're OK. Luckily you weren't more seriously injured.

I think that we've all done stupid things with ladders when we're in a rush or are being a bit lazy.

My favorite was placing a step ladder (only thing available) on top of a coffee table to give some extra height to climb into the attic! I didn't fall, but I said to myself at the time, "if you do fall, you can't say that you didn't warn yourself!".

Homer

[6pack]

Sorry about the mishap! Don't know now who looks worse You, Roger or the catfish.
Wasn't there on sight when it happened but a painter took a short cut, placing ladder on truck top(have done myself) unfortunately he did'nt have truck in gear, may I say more. Again an ego trip no injury, lucky for him.

[Homer]

I just saw this one and can't resist sharing it!

http://electrical-contractor.net/MT/image3.jpg

Homer

[Wgoodrich]

You saw my pain and damage pictures to my face. Thought you might like to see what I have been working on. Good news I am now done with the entire house. Bad news is I fell from the ladder one weedend before I got done.

This house has been a 2 year almost every Saturday and Sunday work by myself keep in shape project. Love seeing the finished product but approximately $ 18 K later with inside total down to the floor joist new cabinets and fixture, footing, foundation, roof to rafters and complete three color paint job done you can at least see the pain and time was worth the investment. To need to do work in this rental before I am too old to care will break my heart !! This winter I plan to write a few articles on flooring replacement etc. I took many pictures as I went along all the way through the project missing the roof, and footing work as well as finished project inside once cabinets etc. was installed. But the articles should be helpful for those wishing to take on that type work. Hope you enjoy the finished pictures as much as I did seeing it in person. A lot of the luster of the paint job doesn't show in the pictures though. You have no idea how good it feels to have this project long time coming DONE.

Enjoy

Wg

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/storage/flooring/504/outpaintdone.jpg