Was so close to taking a fall

[mrtaytay]

You are right smurf, a standoff does make for a better window cleaning position. safer too. I thinks its just the extra weight on the end of the ladder that can put you off, particularly when moving the ladder from one window to another. Maybe my stand off is heavier than some on the market.

The standoff in the link looks pretty smart and not too heavy at 2.3kg. Cant believe those wheels....they turn square when stationery.

 

[Smurf]

Glad you think so bud...That looks like a budget copy of the original class one microlite standoff with D wheels that I use which is probably made by the same company.

Having the options to either use it on a wall, flat roof or pitched roof I think is priceless in my book./emoticons/wink.png

 

[norm]

yeah have microlite as Smurf recommended and its the dogs ******

 

[Neil]

I was so close to taking a fall from my gutter clearing ladder yesterday as was not concentrating on what I was doing. It was one of those man pants moments I can tell you./emoticons/biggrin.png
Good job the ankalad was deployed and the microlite standoff was on the roof tiles at the time or the ladder would have defo gone sideways & from underneath me as I managed to save myself from falling.

That just goes to show the system I use to stabalise the ladder works rather well thank god.

BE CAREFUL SMURFY !!

 

[Smurf]

Will try /emoticons/wink.png

 

[Cochrane Window Cleaners]

I was cleaning outside glass panes on a deck a couple off years ago, one foot of the ladder sank about 2 inches & I fell about 8 ft. I landed on grass on my feet. I broke my back in 5 places I'm still walking but I am not aloud on ladders anymore & I have a 5 to 10 lbs weight limit.

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[Doo]

On the ladder subject, I had a wfp guy saying to me in the pub that I'll have to convert as its coming that ladders will be banned, it's not the first time this has been said too me, I pointed out that he has ladders on his van, he said that he has to use them for some Windows, I asked when his ban comes in what will he do? Still waiting on an answer.

I get the feeling that some of these guys are trying to justify too themselves the cash they have spent on the wfp system.

I don't give a s##t how other guys clean as I feel most tradders think, Always the wfp guys that bump their gums about the way guys clean.

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[cheapncheerful]

I was cleaning outside glass panes on a deck a couple off years ago, one foot of the ladder sank about 2 inches & I fell about 8 ft. I landed on grass on my feet. I broke my back in 5 places I'm still walking but I am not aloud on ladders anymore & I have a 5 to 10 lbs weight limit.

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now that made me think....be careful out there, you just put the price up on my next job../emoticons/smile.png

 

[Smurf]

Some may well say "ladders are banned" as is a quick way out but maybe they should be saying to customers something like... "Due to current working at height regulations I now operate a ladder minimisation policy because simply put when there are other safer alternative options/methods available that helps reduces the risk from falling from height I remain compliant with the working at height directive."

I've now added the following downloads to the Resources section that may be of interest to some

Safety in window cleaning using portable ladders http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/resources/safety-in-window-cleaning-using-portable-ladders.17/

Safety in window cleaning using Waterfed Pole Systems http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/resources/safety-in-window-cleaning-using-waterfed-pole-systems.16/

On the ladder subject, I had a wfp guy saying to me in the pub that I'll have to convert as its coming that ladders will be banned, it's not the first time this has been said too me, I pointed out that he has ladders on his van, he said that he has to use them for some Windows, I asked when his ban comes in what will he do? Still waiting on an answer.
I get the feeling that some of these guys are trying to justify too themselves the cash they have spent on the wfp system.

I don't give a s##t how other guys clean as I feel most tradders think, Always the wfp guys that bump their gums about the way guys clean.

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[Smurf]

Or they would more likely say "I've converted my traditional window cleaning round to wfp method now as have had several close calls and/or fell off me ladder and ended up in hospital"

Like so many of us trad guy's do../emoticons/wink.png

 

[norm]

its sore when it happens:gush:

 

[norm]

I was cleaning outside glass panes on a deck a couple off years ago, one foot of the ladder sank about 2 inches & I fell about 8 ft. I landed on grass on my feet. I broke my back in 5 places I'm still walking but I am not aloud on ladders anymore & I have a 5 to 10 lbs weight limit.

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk

sorry to hear that@Cochrane Window Cleaners kudos for getting back to work

 

[Smurf]

Indeed Norm and some are not so lucky as will be the only fall they have.

 

[Smurf]

+1

sorry to hear that@Cochrane Window Cleaners kudos for getting back to work

 

[norm]

Indeed Norm and some are not so lucky as will be the only fall they have.

very true @Smurf one mistake can be your last

 

[Doo]

Yep smurf, if they fall and loose nerve still have money to earn so don't blame them, I have no grip with the pure water system and like the science behind it and would get it if I was forced too.

I fell two months ago and snapped three rungs off my titan trade ladder when it broke my fall it was scary and I was lucky as it was 15ft up, but not lost my nerve I went onto measure some failed double glazed units and cleaned 23 houses immediately after the fail with a borrowed ladder.

What I do object to is some wfp guys saying I'm living in the past and the sooner I bin my scrims the better. Yes wfp is safer from falling from height but I bet plenty of trips and slips and injuries happen with wfp. And I would doubt very much that it's faster.

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[Doo]

.

 

[Doo]

.

 

[Smurf]

I think you have answered your on question @Doo why you should consider doing tops by wfp or even a trad pole instead as is so easy to take a fall when working from ladders especialy when window cleaning every day. It's a question of not "if "but "when will be my next fall" and will I come away without being hurt or worse.

 

[Doo]

The window I fell at is an awkward bugger and in hindsight I should have footed the ladder with my car as this could be done quite easily, falls from ladders are down to complacency, stupidity, I have been up ladders all my working life mostly in the double glazing repair game

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[Smurf]

Yep we can all make silly mistakes and I have over the years for sure. At the end of the day it's down to the individual how they operate their business if they want to minimise ladder usage or not. /emoticons/wink.png