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lee_dewing

  • Posts: 3120
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #20 on: December 03, 2005, 12:42:22 pm »
i was in back garden angle was too steep, ladder came away from ledge at the top as i was climbing down 9ft up balancing on a ladder free standing, tried to lean out to grab at the wall, fell off hit the ground, which was on 2 levels hit the first then fell another 2 ft onto lower level (a bit off a homer simpson), luckily minor cuts and bruises on my arm did think that it was broke at 1st, looking to go wfp next year.
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.     - Aristotle

Jake

  • Posts: 348
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #21 on: December 03, 2005, 02:47:13 pm »
In 30 yrs in construction industry, I have fallen many times, and had time off through injury, the worst fall was 5 yrs ago , 1 year off and I never went back! While window cleaning, I have had a few slips, but 2 weeks ago I fell off  steps, hit the concrete path and landed on my shoulder onto the lawn which was another 3ft lower. Still getting over it now and still hurts, one thing is for sure, I dont think I am going to be so lucky next time!!!!

So having just bought a 'pure freedom' trolley system, we are not going to chance things again!!

                          Jake.....Westclean
Exeter, Devon

gaza

  • Posts: 1642
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2005, 11:21:47 pm »
FELL OF A ROOF: GOING FROM LADDERS ONTO THE SCAFOLDIING FELL AND KARATE
CHOPPED THE NEIGHBOURS FENCE TO THE GROUND WITH THE UNDERNEATH OF MY ARM PIT. QUICK CHECK WRIGGLE TOES,WRIGGLE FINGERS CHECK WEDDING TACKLE IS IN PLACE,BACK UP TO WORK.
FELL 16FT HEAD FIRST:Into a yorkshire brick wall,after ladders collapsed,landed on my head so was ok,wat a egg I had for a week or more couldnt wear me cap for a few days, back at work next day.
MY W/C WAS ONLY SAYING 26 YRS NEVER HAD A FALL:that was 18 months ago he was stamping down his rubbish in a wheelie bin,when it tipped up, hasnt worked for 18 months cus he shattered his thigh and his hip.

  gaza
IM AT THAT AGE MY BACK GOES OUT MORE THAN I DO

Ben Walker

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #23 on: December 03, 2005, 11:35:32 pm »
When i was teenager, helping out in the garden lopping branches of a tree in the garded at home, placed ladders against branch i was going to saw off...
well no i didn't place them against the end to be sawn off! Not that bad...
But the other end, the end attached to the tree.

What i didn't foresee though was that upon sawing the branch off, the weight of the branch would suddenly lessen, and so then... wooooo 
left with top 2cm of ladder resting agaist branch :o ...
with me holding down the branch so that it wouldn't rise up any more!!
so all ok, as long as i don't leave go of the branch!

The funny thing is, even if someone came to the rescue it is limited what they could do to help (without another ladder, rope etc) What they going to do.. climb up, hold the branch while i climb down?!

sooo did i....
1. being a school boy, use my school tie to secure top rung of ladder to branch, then climb down!
2. Climb onto branch, along branch monkey fashion and down tree!
or
3. lose strength, left go of branch and woooooo crash to the floor?

You chose, each is pretty funny

  ;D

ben












 ;D alright then, its no. 2

however... (further twist)... upon getting off the branch and onto the trunk, the ladders were still there with the rubber ends resting on the branch!!

True

B.

D.Salkeld_Ltd

  • Posts: 951
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2005, 08:29:10 am »
Thanks folks for being honest.

Observing the stories, would you agree:

It's not the ladder to blame.  It's OUR inexperience and stupidity in not following good safe practice rules.

There is no such thing as an ACCIDENT.  It's nearly allways HUMAN ERROR.  Even if the ladder broke it is still human error in not checking the ladder or choosing a good ladder.

A few point I would like to reply to:

Wooden Vs Ally

KJG: I use an Ally ladder, Light Trade with good feet and Ladder Mits.

DP:  Interested in your comment in missing the Step In when trained by the Fire Brigade.
I have been a retained Fire Fighter and the trainig helped me think a bit more.  Just remember "3, 2, 1,....STEP IN!!!"

As a closing comment:

WFP has got to be a safer alternative to ladders. 
But if we still use ladders we ALL, no matter how "experienced" we feel we are should read through the new HSE advice to make us think more about safety on ladders.

Thanks

David Salkeld
Not Perfect - But Honest

brett walker

  • Posts: 1943
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2005, 08:50:40 am »
Touch wood, i have never fell off a ladder  ;)

In our job we need to use ladders for access etc, so there always is a risk i suppose its a bit like crossing a road accidents can happen in any job or any walk of life  :o
Water fed pole - safety first :)

I've read somewhere on one of these forums you can fall off a ladder but you cant fall off a wfp 8) 8)

Brett

Paul Coleman

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2005, 10:14:03 am »
Thanks folks for being honest.

Observing the stories, would you agree:

It's not the ladder to blame.  It's OUR inexperience and stupidity in not following good safe practice rules.

There is no such thing as an ACCIDENT.  It's nearly allways HUMAN ERROR.  Even if the ladder broke it is still human error in not checking the ladder or choosing a good ladder.

A few point I would like to reply to:

Wooden Vs Ally

KJG: I use an Ally ladder, Light Trade with good feet and Ladder Mits.

DP:  Interested in your comment in missing the Step In when trained by the Fire Brigade.
I have been a retained Fire Fighter and the trainig helped me think a bit more.  Just remember "3, 2, 1,....STEP IN!!!"

As a closing comment:

WFP has got to be a safer alternative to ladders. 
But if we still use ladders we ALL, no matter how "experienced" we feel we are should read through the new HSE advice to make us think more about safety on ladders.

Thanks

David Salkeld

Sure thing. We are all prone to the occasional error no matter how much practice we have had.  It only takes one as well.  Something that didn't really get a mention is wet rungs.  You have to choose your footwear carefully to avoid a slip.  I've had a few less dramatic near misses until I started exploring diifferent footwear.  I say less dramatic because the worst that ever happened was the foot slipping down one rung below where it was meant to be.

brett walker

  • Posts: 1943
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #27 on: December 04, 2005, 12:42:12 pm »
Yes wet rungs are a problem, i find the grip on my rungs is wearing thin a lot of the window cleaners that have been doing it years swear by the wooden ladders.   :-\

Anyone ever cracked their knee on part of the ladder? :'(

Brett

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #28 on: December 04, 2005, 01:38:11 pm »
YUP

cracked my knees.. bumped me noggin into it while it was on the roof rack. Stepped off the bottom rung only to find it was the 2nd one up... stepped right into me bucket. Went up that one rung too many to reach that corner I should have moved the ladder along to get to.. and so the list goes on.

David is absolutely right. We call then accidents but almost without fail its down to human error Having said that take away the ladder and replace it with WFP and none of the above will happen. I am human and as such I will always be tepmted to take what I think are small risks.

I saw a guy the other day doing dormers on bungalows. I had to stop and just stare in amazement. He had climbed up his normal ladder carrying a short piece of one with a piece of metal welded on to the top of each upright at a 90 degree angle. He had the pieces at the top placed on the roofs of the dormers and was standing on the bit of ladder which was actually just hanging there!!! And he was stretching one arm out and balancing it by sticking his leg out. he was working on his ladder contraption at a 45 degree angle  with one foot on a rung and holding the ladder with his hand ( you will all know what I mean by that)

I used to hate dormers.. love em now with me WFP  :)

Andrew

Paul Coleman

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #29 on: December 04, 2005, 04:23:45 pm »
YUP

cracked my knees.. bumped me noggin into it while it was on the roof rack. Stepped off the bottom rung only to find it was the 2nd one up... stepped right into me bucket. Went up that one rung too many to reach that corner I should have moved the ladder along to get to.. and so the list goes on.

David is absolutely right. We call then accidents but almost without fail its down to human error Having said that take away the ladder and replace it with WFP and none of the above will happen. I am human and as such I will always be tepmted to take what I think are small risks.

I saw a guy the other day doing dormers on bungalows. I had to stop and just stare in amazement. He had climbed up his normal ladder carrying a short piece of one with a piece of metal welded on to the top of each upright at a 90 degree angle. He had the pieces at the top placed on the roofs of the dormers and was standing on the bit of ladder which was actually just hanging there!!! And he was stretching one arm out and balancing it by sticking his leg out. he was working on his ladder contraption at a 45 degree angle  with one foot on a rung and holding the ladder with his hand ( you will all know what I mean by that)

I used to hate dormers.. love em now with me WFP  :)

Andrew

For some years now I have cleaned dormer windows with an unger pole/backflip.  I just explained to people that, although it may not be as good as a normal clean, it was a lot better than no clean.

andy east sussex

  • Posts: 1146
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #30 on: December 04, 2005, 04:24:13 pm »
last christmas i fell off the ladder cos the floor was wet so went to hospital and i had 2 brokern fingers then next day it happend again but only bruised my back ive only just started to get back up a ladder again

busydaffodil

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #31 on: December 04, 2005, 06:08:25 pm »
mincing

I love that word!!!   



Sqeaks......on your back huh? ;)   

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #32 on: December 04, 2005, 10:11:00 pm »
Sqeaks......on your back huh? ;)   
Rather! ;)

sussex187

  • Posts: 95
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #33 on: April 26, 2006, 07:09:57 pm »
fell off 4yrs ago and only just had the last operation on my ankle to rectify my mistake was hard grass and dew in morning and wham before i know it was on my arse with my leg snapped in half with bone poking out had loads of screws and a plate 5 operations the last one being an ankle fusion please be careful lol

jeff1

  • Posts: 5855
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #34 on: April 26, 2006, 08:30:08 pm »
After 23 yrs going up ladders 15 yrs in the security trade putting up bell boxes, security lighting and cctv, then 8 yrs window cleaning, I fell of a pair of step ladders while working in a hire shop doing security, i fell of these steps and landed flat on my face, knocked the wind out of my sails and twisted my knee, while i was laying on the floor in this hire shop, the young guy who was serving behind the counter seen me fall, and because i was just layed there he passed out, and i mean passed out, from were he was stood all he could see was this metal bar that had gone right through my head,but was actually behind me, everyone in the shop started panicing we had one dead and one passed out, I stood up hobbling on one leg, cutting a long story short on this one I ended up tearing my cartiladge in my knee, and ended up having an operation on it ten weeks later.

The second time was when i was window cleaning about five years ago, cleaning first floor windows of a pub, the ground sloped both ways, placed small planks and bricks to level the ladder and i had the wife footing the ladder (only used to take her with me so I didn't have to kiss her goodbye in the mornings) she got distracted (so she said) and the ladder slid down the wall, I was still holding onto the ladder and the top section stopped on the big wooden lintel above the door below and the bottom stopped on a beer barrel, lucky you might say, I don't think so because I carried on, feet come off the rungs and my legs went through my ladders until i stopped on my gear stick and squashed my plums. I got off my ladder My mrs was in stiches and I was bent over in agony, Telling her through gritted teeth to go away (very Politly of coarse) needless to say she didn't get what she wanted that night.

Changing over to wfp sometime this year, who knows the mrs might take on jobs with electricity lines over head, she keeps telling me I'm worth more dead than alive, O how I love my wife.

pjulk

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #35 on: April 26, 2006, 09:18:50 pm »
Last year i had my ladder slip down the wall about a foot.
It was on a green patio which was wet.
The first thing i knew about it was when my heart was in my mouth.

I also fell from a ladder once comming down i missed a step luckily it was only about 3 steps from the bottom but i still came down with a thump.

Also had the ladder slip sideways a bit and stop.

Paul

mick40

  • Posts: 180
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #36 on: April 26, 2006, 09:42:02 pm »
fell off a ladder 2 year ago. i went to do a job but didnt have a ladder big enough.The guy whos house i was gonna do said he had one that will do the job.result- ladder slipped i fell 20 feet and got myself 2 sprained ankles and a badly broken wrist. I was wary as hell for a while about going up ladders again though, but back cleaning again.
if i eat myself will i be twice as fat or will i disappear?

rosskesava

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #37 on: April 26, 2006, 10:14:45 pm »
I've never fallen myself and I put that down to paranoia. I don't like ladders and it has to be safe before I'll go up it and if I'm not happy, then it's a BIG no. Walking on tiled roofs or slopping roofs are also a very BIG no. Today I was 15 floors up harnessed and tied to 3 safety bolts and I felt safer doing that than I do being up a ladder.

I'm still happier wfp'ing even though I don't think the results are as good but that is another story and not for this thread.

I have seen someone else fall though. He was doing somework to a shop sign and as he came down the ladder from about 12 or 15ft up, he missed his footing where the top section goes into the one below. His foot went in between the rungs and he fell backwards and landed on his back and head. All I can remember is a blood appearing on the pavement from underneath his head and his eyes rolling around like he was drunk or drugged up. Someone put a cloth under his head and it turned red with blood.

I don't know what happened to him or how bad his injuries were but the ambulance men were treating him on the pavement for about 30 minutes. They took ages getting him onto a strectcher and into the ambulance so apart from a head injury, he probably had a serious neck/back injury as he was strapped up head to foot. The ambulance then drove off very slowly at about 5 mph with it's blue lights flashing.

The police cordoned off the entire area so it was probably very serious.

A few weeks later I started window cleaning.

Morph

Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #38 on: April 26, 2006, 10:26:19 pm »
Heading into my 20th year w/c, 7th month wfp.
I have never fallen off, my ladder has never slipped more than an inch!
My motto has always been, "If you don't feel safe, you are not safe.  Come down and think why."  I have taught a few over the years and have passed that onto them.  No-one I have taught has had even a slip .... So far!

But I know loads of people who have fallen, many with permanent injuries. 

I hear another w/c has fallen and died this last week.  Another tragedy, another family ruined!  So sad. 

P @ F

  • Posts: 6319
Re: Who's Fallen of a Ladder - Be Honest!
« Reply #39 on: April 26, 2006, 10:33:29 pm »
I forgot to mention the fall that made me change to wfp , was doing a big victorian house and was over stretching , hand slipped off the rung and landed on my knee caps , my injury was a 180* rotated split cartlidge , 5 weeks off work in all , when i was in the hospital bed waiting to go to the theatre i told the other half as soon as i can walk im getting those pole things !

The rest is history , in a way im glad i fell off !

 Rich   P @ F  
I'm so lazy I'm getting tired of it !