getting over heights

I know it sounds stupid but how do you trad guys overcome your fear of heights ???

I'm not scared of heights it's just the scared of falling part that gets me

ie slipping on a rung etc jus makes me a bit giddy lol .

I get a funny feeling when I'm up the triple storeys, but won't have to worry anymore as will have a pole. I don't even think about it, it's just up the ladder clean back down, up clean down, up clean down all day lol

Being scared is a good thing mate, it's always in the back of my mind I've seen some windys who obviosly arnt scared of heights and the pull some daft manovers up ladders, if you put safety first you will be fine

u gradually just get used to it, i used to be scared of ladders n what have u, when i first worked on a building site it used to take me ten mins to get to top of ladder then id practically crawl round the scaffold, 6 years later n i barely have any fear of ladders. i get a little bit of fear n go a bit steadier when im up 3 storeys but thats about it

ON my own i'm the same tbh hate it

i dont think there anything u can do if it effects you just be confidant and set the ladder up right and u be ok mate

As J. Clarkson says "It's not speed that kills. It's the suddenly stopping that does it"

Don't worry about the heights. It's the hitting the ground you have to worry about.

when you know your ladder is set up right and you know what you can and cant do(experience), you will have confidence, i literally run up and down the ladders sometimes, and i always feel completely safe doing it!

Lol @ vito now that's mean /emoticons/biggrin.png

I think everyone feels the same when they just start out using ladders, and yes someone times experience and over confidence can lead to accidents, so that fear is not a bad thing. More often that not accidents happen on ladders for one or two reasons. It is improperly racked, or the operator did not keep a good grip of the rungs when ascending and descending.

Keep the correct ratios, 1/3 to 1/4 of the height away from the building when racking, considering levelling, the surface, both where the ladder is racked and what it is racked against. Then finally check it. A good test to ensure a ladder wont slip out is to, put two hands behind the ladder, loosely hold it, and pull it towards you. If the top lifts of the wall/sill its racked against, then its good, or if other thing happens and the feet slip towards you, don't get on it. Experiences will tell you when the surface could be dangerous.

There is weather factors to consider as well which could affect how stable the ladder could be, ice on the road, frozen ground, snow, wet conditions creating slip hazards, windy conditions etc.

As for going up and down the ladder, use both hands, buy a holster for your gear, hold the rungs not the rails of the ladder, as you ascend and descend and you will be fine.

Take you time, rack it safely, use it safely, when its safe, and you will be safe.

Good bit of info there ladder, nice to see you back

been busy with a little project /emoticons/biggrin.png

carpets

How's that coming along, website looks good.

just started this week, but not too bad. Its a different kind of game, People get it done once or twice a year at most, so there is a need for regular advertising. I hope to advertise our service to our window cleaning customers, and offer a more diverse cleaning service. Now doing, WC, Gutter Cleaning, Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, and Office Cleaning.

Sounds good, was is expensive to set up then?

I already had a van, which I used, but that cost me 3k a couple of years ago, then about 4k on equipment, uniforms etc, and another £800 on the first months advertising, with adds in the paper every day. Just hoping I make more than that to cover next months advertising. But I think I will have to diversify my advertising methods, with letters to my customers, flyers, deals with landlords, estate agents etc.

I used to have someone stand at the bottem of the ladder to hold it, but now am like, doing all these manourvers which I know I shouldnt be doing.

a bit of fear will keep you safe mate, im not botherd by heights or using ladders, used to do a bit of roofing and have worked on very high industrial scaffolds etc... being slightly afraid is good. complaincensy is dangerous not the ladder.


i dont do anythin clever on a ladder , no funny business or leaning off the side , its not worth it

Been really scared of heights for years and will not go up blackpool tower ever but as long as I know I've done all I can to make the ladder safe I don't think about it too much and I'm actually getting over it. Just take in all the good advice like in LadderGarders ealier post and jobs a good en.

The funny thing is i used to fabricate and weld cranes and install them on site and that didnt bother me one bit mainly because i was harnesed up and %90 of the time we used cherry pickers lol . Its just the thought of falling that i dont like lol but like you guys say safety first and no being stupid and il be fine .

you should hold the rails not the rungs actually, that way they are in constant contact with the ladder, also the rungs can be slippery due to wet feet running up and down them

you should hold the rails not the rungs actually, that way they are in constant contact with the ladder, also the rungs can be slippery due to wet feet running up and down them

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I would never advise this, I would rather my staff get dirty hands by gripping rungs that there feet have stood on than fall. If your feet slip, which can happen, and you have a loose grip on the rails, you will fall. If you have at least one hand firmly on a rung, you are less likely to fall in my opinion.

Also I bet you don't slide your hands up and down the rails all the time, you will make the same motion, releasing your grip and moving one hand above the other.

Listen I am not interested in saying I am right and you are wrong, but I am very concerned that you may have an accident if you are not gripping the rungs when ascending and descending. I go rock climbing, and can tell you that you have a much greater chance of holding on to a rung, than a rail if you feet slip, you have much greater strength due to the different muscles that are engaged with a firm grip around the rung. Stand low down on a ladder grip the rung and drop your feet, then do it again with one hand on a rail, and see if you can hold yourself up.

This type of advice should be clear as day on forums with little debate, there are allot of new member on here that are just starting out, and giving unclear advice about how a ladder should be used could lead to a fatal accident, very worrying.