tumbler, lest i fall

[TommoTrueShineWCS]

My old boss said im a tumbler, as ive not yet had a fall.

Forgive me for thinking this analogy is backwards...

Just thought i'd ask what close calls or falls you guys have had?

My first near fall,

High winds blowing from my left side, first floor window, ladder in a raised gravel decoration bed. Boss footing me. Winds 35-40, gusts 54+, should have called it but that was one of the last two jobs for an out of town area. I washed the window, looked down as I stepped down one rung, but then noticed nobody on my ladder! He'd gone! So looking back up I saw the ladder slipping. Left hand grab of the lower rung in front of me, underhand grip. Right hand grab of the rung above, overhand grip. As the ladder fell down to the right, I locked my arms and turned my body/feet to aim and brace for the floor. Landed perfect on two feet, holding the ladder at the kind of position you would if lifting it to the roofrack... I pointed through the ladder and shouted "you was supposed to be ******* footing ne on that!"

What I do find is when im about to have a fall, time slows down, I get what feels like four extra seconds to "OODA" and land safe. (OODA) Observe>Orient>Decide>Act. The OODA loop... something I learnt in a hobby that can and should be applied in all situations. An idea conceived by the military.

Anyway... what sort of close ones have you had?

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Ladder at 45 degrees up a garage roof. No footing or security.

Ladder quit I landed on my a**. On my back looking at the sky smoking a cig decided I was a t**t.

My ladder is always well secured. If it cant be the job dont get done by me.

 

[TommoTrueShineWCS]

Fair play. I tend to go steep and pin the ladder under the sill if they can take it. If the feet have to go far out, I've someone I can call on for the odd job.

Even a low, garage or conny rook can break the career-bone. After over extending the welcome on my last ladders ive decided ive been too lucky for too long to carry on taking risks. Heres some photos of the feet... chewed to the bone... View attachment 8130

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[simon]

using an old ladder with **** feet- cant remember why - getting onto a sloping roof & testing it for slip 1 foot on roof & 1 on ladder & ladder feet shot backwards, no slomo at all just stood there 1 second & lying on my back the next on a small bush, scary thing was my leg was through the ladder rungs, no bush & it would of been broken in a few place, i was only in my 40's then so a few fags n a bit of a swear n back to it lmao

 

[11Gray11]

Fell from first floor straight onto my back last December.

Ladder seemed safe, good angle but the mild wet winter had resulted in a thin green algae like layer on patio slabs.

Reached up and over to the right and felt it slip then bit, jolting me off from the top to the floor.

Was in agony, winded so couldn't breathe and scared to death I'd broke my back.

When my breathing returned to normal I went about trying to move and with help managed to stand but the pain was immense.

Somehow got into the car for workmate to take me to A&E unable to sit and groaning with every tiny bump.

After a minute I asked them to ring and ambulance, I needed to be flat with pain relief. Should really have rang 999 straight away.

Ambulance arrived and got the small relief of gas and air on the journey to hospital.

X-ray showed not broken thankfully, I was so,so lucky not to have died or been paralyzed from the height I fell.

Was on codiene, paracetamol and ibuprofen continually for a month. Could barely move for a few days, then once mobile it was mostly painful when sitting/standing but the worst was lying in bed. Trying to turn was extremely painful and worse when getting getting up.

Happened on a Tuesday, was back to work the following Monday. Downstairs work only, no chance of picking a ladder up let alone work up it.

Shouldn't have gone in but it's our busiest time, trying to get all the work done a bit early for a nice christmas break.

(Broke my wrist at work a couple of years ago, had one day off then straight back to work with the cast on. I'm hardcore, lol. /emoticons/wink.png)

Now over six months on, my back only hurts when I lie on the floor, but still have a painful and not very mobile right shoulder (doc said probably rotator cuff injury) and right elbow has what feels like a chipped bit of bone I can move around that only hurts when resting on something.

Lost a lot of confidence up the ladder now. Have someone foot it more than what's probably needed and won't climb as high, instead use handle extensions when I can't quite reach.

Wife wants me to quit work as she has a VERY high paid job, I'd then spend time working on the house, decorating etc.

I kind of want to but will wait until an opportune moment like an argument or the boss retiring/keeling over. He's getting on a bit, lol.

 

[boarcity]

back in october 2010 i fell the full drop. ladder slid out[was on laddermats] and down i went. no time to grab a sill . my legs went thru the rungs and one shin actually bent a rung-thankfully my shinbone didnt break... lucky or wot!

i then sat in van for twenty minutes didnt know wot to do ,,,then went back to my ladder and finished the job 3 more upstairs windows on auto-pilot

drove home and sat there in pain for a week, then back at it.

 

[Adam curtis]

I fell off on one of the concrete print drives with the shiny finish up the ladder working away next thing I new I was on the floor gets up broke a big flower pot scraps on the drive but no harm done lol

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[adamangler]

I fell off my a frame once about 3 foot nothing much happened.

Thankfully I'm not daft enough to climb ladders when there's safer ways to work

 

[Dave B]

I am very safe on a ladder and have managed to only fall once (it is inevitable at some point) in 20+ years

However i did land on some bush roots and fracture my tail bone and not be able to walk properly for a month

I used to climb as a hobby and mum's other half was a roofer who i would help from time to time so know about safety at height but it is still not possible to be 100% safe

For all tradders it is only a matter of time before a fall

 

[TommoTrueShineWCS]

on my other close call, ladder slipped when getting back on the top from a sloped roof... ladder slipped straight away, i handvaulted off the roof and down onto my feet. ive been very lucky twice.. time i havent landed on my feet was when i was climbing over a fence that gave and i went through a garage wall... i ****** laughing, put the fence back and fixed it (rock hammered the nails back in) and took a pic of the wall, lost that phone a long time ago though...

 

[peter rogers]

Friend of mine is a BMW stunt bike jumper lol

I asked him how he no broken bones etc

Said theyr trained to go all floppy if ther going to fall. Aka don't tense up n

 

[Dave B]

Definitely true but it goes against every natural instinct

 

[Max]

My father had 3 bad falls, the worst when he brushed some cobwebs from underneath some guttering and a piece of the cast iron guttering broke off and hit his face. I heard his scream as I was doing the bottom windows. His nose was hanging off by 90% and blood all over his face he managed to climb part of the way down before falling off. He now has ostio-arthritious, 2 replacement hips and a scarred face, he wishes wfp was around in his day.

 

[Spartan]

View attachment 8149

My brothers ladder [emoji16]

Scared the heck out of me so I gave him mine and bought myself a new one!

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[TommoTrueShineWCS]

Max, I couldnt imagine the pain. That sounds a bad fall.

Spartan, those are bad. Good man for sorting him out.

 

[Spartan]

Cheers Tommo,

So what's all this anti-flouride thing then?

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