Ask anyone what danger you face when using a ladder, and the likely answer will have to do with falling off the ladder. True, that is a danger. But it’s not the only one. Let’s look at some others.
Danger 1: Electrical shock
When shopping for an extension step ladder, you see those fiberglass ones cost considerably more than their all-aluminum counterparts. But unlike their aluminum counterparts, fiberglass step ladders are nonconductive (except for their metallic rungs, rivets, and braces). You’ve probably been told not to use an aluminum step ladder for electrical work.
If you are merely running raceway, is that the kind of electrical work in question? The raceway isn’t energized, so what difference does the ladder make? Consider the case of Alvin, a vinyl siding installer. While removing the old siding, he came into contact with energized nonmetallic-sheathed cable that was (in violation of 334.15 and basic common sense) run along the exterior under the siding. His left hand was grasping the ladder side rail and his right hand was grasping the prybar that contacted a nail that had pierced the cable.
Current ran across his chest and must have stopped his heart, while also causing him to fly backwards belly down off the ladder where he landed face down on the lawn. Smacking the lawn with such force apparently restarted his heart, but he also broke both arms and several ribs.
Was that siding electrical work? It wasn’t supposed to be. Alvin now believes that when selecting a ladder, assume that any work is electrical work. Can you think of a good reason not to agree with Alvin?
Danger 2: Compensation for short ladder
The fact that the ladder is too short is not the danger. The danger comes in when you attempt to compensate for that. Perhaps you stand above the final safe rung, or perhaps you set the ladder at too steep an angle for the desired height.
If the ladder is not extended far enough and can safely extend to the correct length for the application, then the solution is obvious. But if the ladder cannot be made long enough, you just have to use a longer ladder or perhaps erect scaffolding.
The short ladder problem typically arises when the job is not planned properly. Each elevation access point and each elevation must have an accurate height measurement recorded prior to the job planning. If it’s an off-site job, the service van needs to have the right ladder on it before heading off to the job site.
If Bill arrives on the job with an 18 ft extension ladder, only to find out the person who eyeballed the distance was shy a couple of feet, is he going to head back to the shop for the 24 ft ladder he should have had? We can hope so, but Bill should never be put in that position. He thinks about a round trip through what is now rush hour traffic. He looks at the ladder. He looks at the wall. He looks at his schedule. It’s only a couple of feet …
Danger 3: Hand and finger injuries
It is possible to injure, or even lose, fingers when moving, extending, or collapsing an extension ladder? Here are some tips to protect those precious digits:
- Handle the ladder only by its rails. This way, you don’t guillotine your hand or fingers between two steps. This is a danger any time you are collapsing the ladder, but it can also happen when extending or carrying the ladder.
- Before using the extending rope, visually check it for damage. If the ladder has been left outside, the rope may be rotting. The rope could be frayed at any point, making it subject to breaking at the worst possible time.
- Ensure the ladder is on a stable surface before extending or collapsing it. Otherwise, the ladder can suddenly turn or tilt on you, and your natural response will be to grab a step to steady it. See the first tip.
Danger 4: Riding the ladder down the slide
Falling off a ladder is an obvious danger, but you can stay on the ladder and still be seriously injured or even killed by a fall. This mode of injury occurs when the ladder feet slide away from the wall and the top slides down the wall. The friction will reduce the impact from what a complete freefall would produce, but you will still hit the ground very hard. Your first impulse when you feel the slide will be to grip a rung with a death grip. Good news for that rung, it has your fingers for cushion. Bad news for your fingers, they will probably be amputated.
Some tips to prevent this:
- Ensure the correct feet or spurs are in place before setting the ladder in place.
- Ensure the ladder is on a surface that provides plenty of resistance against a slide. For example, it’s on concrete (the surface is usually rough enough for good friction).
- Where practical, secure the ladder at the bottom. You may be able to tie a rope around the bottom rung at one end and around a building feature at the other. Or you may have something heavy like a gangbox or a couple of bags of shingles that can be placed at the feet of the ladder to add a bit of a barrier against sliding away.
- If the ladder will be in place for multiple trips up and down, take time on the first trip up to secure it at the top. Look for something structural to tie off to. A brace that’s connected to a 50-ton HVAC unit is a good choice; the flex running to a pullbox is not.
- The rule of thumb is to extend the ladder three feet above the top of a structure
