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Ladder Safety

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hi guys, i am kind of new here, so i apologize if my question isn't placed at the right place, but do you use some kind of protectors for the top of the ladder(rubber made for example) so you prevent damaging walls, parapets etc. or loosing contact with the building and falling down?And if you could show me some....

 
I have a customer who has this big house, all cream render on the wall and sills. From day 1 she wanted me to use something to stop the ladders marking (they will mark). I settled on some foam pipe lagging. This is approx 18 inches long (2 of) and i secured it round the top of the ladder with a bungee. It worked well for me and was a cheap fix.

Some guys have secured this lagging to the very top 2 rungs so that you have a cushion effect against your knees. Never did it myself - but then again I'm real hard!!! lol smiley face

 
Yeah, I've defo learnt a thing or two from this Impact training.

Hopefully wont be doing too much ladder work but these things could become priceless. Don't trust myself on ladders sometimes. But I suppose alot of it comes down to experience and confidence and I'm lacking both when it comes to ladders at the mo. Lol
This is always good to see!

I'll pass on the words to Phil! /emoticons/smile.png

 
I have a pair of home made ladder mitts, made out of pieces of old bath towel stuffed inside a pair of old socks. I also use the bath towel as an anti-lip mat on wet decking. It may not look professional but it's very effective!

John

 
This is very inventional and I bet it looks interesting, John. could you post some pics. I love whe efficiency comes cheap /emoticons/smile.png

 
. I love whe efficiency comes cheap /emoticons/smile.png
lol cheap but not correct! how little cost do you put on your life or being able to work, one mistake and it could all be over, all because you wanted to save a few pounds,

ladder mits from £14 and ladder mats from £17 both comply with h&s.

 
lol cheap but not correct! how little cost do you put on your life or being able to work, one mistake and it could all be over, all because you wanted to save a few pounds,

ladder mits from £14 and ladder mats from £17 both comply with h&s.
My methods may be unorthodox, but they work for me. The bath towel on wet decking is rock steady and I would not dare to climb the ladders if there was a remote chance of them slipping. Conversely, if the decking is dry, the bath towel is lethal!

I value my life very highly. This is why I never charge about, running up and down ladders as some do, and I check everything I do very carefully before I act.

Best wishes,

John

 
My methods may be unorthodox, but they work for me. The bath towel on wet decking is rock steady and I would not dare to climb the ladders if there was a remote chance of them slipping. Conversely, if the decking is dry, the bath towel is lethal!

I value my life very highly. This is why I never charge about, running up and down ladders as some do, and I check everything I do very carefully before I act.

Best wishes,

John
thats great, but if something did happen when you was using these diy safety stuff you will not be covered on insurance and you wouldn't be able to clain a penny for it as you wasn't using the correct equipment.

being fully ladder trained and h&s trained you get to know these things

 
So what is the ultimate ladder safety tool? So many opinions I dont know what to get. Some swear by spikes, others say spikes are **** and swear by ladder stoppers like the rojak one. Rubber articulated feet? That basemate looks good for uneven ground, does it also combat the ladder slipping?

 
thats great, but if something did happen when you was using these diy safety stuff you will not be covered on insurance and you wouldn't be able to clain a penny for it as you wasn't using the correct equipment.

being fully ladder trained and h&s trained you get to know these things
Fair comment, but I believe that if I have an accident, I take full reponsibility for my actions, and would not try to blame/sue. I had an accident recently (not involving ladders) and apparently could have sued and won several thousand euro had I claimed. As it was actually my fault, I thought nah!

John

 
Fair comment, but I believe that if I have an accident, I take full reponsibility for my actions, and would not try to blame/sue.

John
if u are insured window cleaner and you have a fall off a ladder and and end up in a wheelchair or anything and you wasnt using a BS EN131 or BS Class 1 ladders then any claim on your insurance will be void as you wasnt using the right class ladder for the job, same goes for any safety gear. the costs then will have to come out of your pocket and could loose everything.

 
lol cheap but not correct! how little cost do you put on your life or being able to work, one mistake and it could all be over, all because you wanted to save a few pounds,

ladder mits from £14 and ladder mats from £17 both comply with h&s.
of course life's safety is more important than saving few pounds, it is not a question, but why not using something proved to be safe(as John B said) that could save money.

 
My ladder mitts are home made/diy and the part that comes into contact with anything has far superior anti slip qualities than those ladder mitts that look like oversize condoms so I'll stick with em thanks. People it's window cleaning at 15-20ft not high wire trapeze without a net, being safe is one thing but we're starting to get a bit carried away with it now.

 

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