[Ian101]

Fell about 7 foot yesterday - luckily soft grass and knowing how to land from martial art training meant only sore knees and dented pride.

My own fault for not using proper professional equipment so dont need that pointing out to me  

Ladder just collapsed on 1 side without warning and lost balance - was near top cleaning 1 tricky skylight  

Told myself these would be OK to use for odd gate / skylight .

Little giants now getting purchased as smashed these to bits this morning.

Thought I would post this as a warning to others who have or about to buy telescopic ladders ... DONT !!

Hole in grass about 2 inches deep where I landed - thankfully ground was muddy as was using them on concrete a few days earlier !

[Dave Willis]

What you were three rungs up

[Dave Willis]

I suppose whatever locks them in place - sprung loaded pin or whatever must wear out in the end?

[Matt.]

Ssshhhh Dave it's not funny mate, I had 2 high falls years ago when working for a national. About 18 ft onto tiled floor in stoke, and about 10 ft in little barr Birmingham. First one I had enough time to react and landed feet first, 10 ft fall was worst, my foot got caught in rung on ladder as it went an took me with it.

Avoid them ladders at all cost & glad u ok

I reckon u right there Dave but how do u no wen they are at that point

[Ian101]

What you were three rungs up

I was near top but the one that gave was lower down

[EandM]

As soon as you feel the rungs are anything less than secure then it's time for some maintenance. They aren't buy and forget like a standard aluminium ladder, they have moving parts and by their very nature need to be inspected and the sections adjusted periodically. For the flexibility they provide they are extremely useful and very safe. I carry one behind the seat in my pick up and all occasional flat roof / gate access is now possible but for ANYTHING else I take my double twelve.

[davids3511]

I'm glad your OK Ian but I don't buy you only made a 2inch crater. You sure you haven't got your feet and inches confused ;-)

[Dave Willis]

Ian have you still got the bits left? I'd be interested to know how the locking mechanism works and what's to stop it wearing out. They could be lethal when they fail.

[Tom White]

I caught a bit of a tv program last night called 24 Hours in Accident and Emergency (I think).  A Channel 4 program.

The doctor there was saying that it's rarely a day where she doesn't see a victim of a ladder accident.

She says it's all luck of the draw too.  She's had people who've fallen 30 foot from a ladder and been okay, yet
remembers one bloke who fell from an attic ladder and really mangled himself.

And then we've idiots here claiming to be just as fast on ladders on some properties, as they would be with a WFP.

As a forum, we ought to make the routine use of ladders something akin to drink driving; socially unacceptable.

[andyM]

I've never liked the look of those telescopic ladders.
Accident waiting to happen.

[dd]

I am old fashioned when it comes to using ladders. I know it is a pain having to use a roof rack, but IMO the standard double extension ladder is the safest. Any ladder you collapse so it will fit inside a van has more potential to fail, either because of user error in setting it up or component failure.

Why bother improving safety through use of wfp only to compromise it by using a collapsible ladder.

[Smudger]

I've had 2 sets go like this, luckily noticed before before going up them, they are ce marked etc.. But I feel that these cheapo versions from China are not really to standard, after taking the ladder inspection course I won't let the guys use them

Darran

[Tony dunmall]

To right tosh

I've sadly in my younger years fell few times from top rungs of a double 12 foot fairly lucky just badly bruised and shaken pride

Worst injuries I've had are off the blooming 8' A frame only half way up as well

[Gerald Ash]

Two inch hole in grass? If it was me I`d need a ladder to climb out

[Walter Mitty]

I used a telecopic ladder a few times recently.  I only did it because my van was in dock for ages and the rental van had no way to carry my
normal ladder (bars wouldn't come off other van). 
Although I had no mishaps, I just did not feel comfortable using it.  Really, I should have done reduced price cleans with
apologies for not being able to do the complete jobs.

[Joey Eastwood]

I caught a bit of a tv program last night called 24 Hours in Accident and Emergency (I think).  A Channel 4 program.

The doctor there was saying that it's rarely a day where she doesn't see a victim of a ladder accident.

She says it's all luck of the draw too.  She's had people who've fallen 30 foot from a ladder and been okay, yet
remembers one bloke who fell from an attic ladder and really mangled himself.

And then we've idiots here claiming to be just as fast on ladders on some properties, as they would be with a WFP.

As a forum, we ought to make the routine use of ladders something akin to drink driving; socially unacceptable.

ian101, no offence but by the look of them did you  not think they  where on the way out?  scratched and dented  up lol, i use them and buy a new pair every year on principle

tosh, shut up.

gonna outlaw anyone who uses a ladder?
you get worse and worse lol

[Tom White]

tosh, shut up.

gonna outlaw anyone who uses a ladder?
you get worse and worse lol

Of course not, but why don't you do yourself a favour and work a lot more safely?  Why clean windows from ladders - which lets face it, is a lot slower and hard work - when you can just clean them quickly from the ground?

Earn more, work less, less risk; it's win win.

[Joey Eastwood]

why dont you do yourself a favour and clean more windows and talk less 5hit.

[Tom White]

why dont you do yourself a favour and clean more windows and talk less 5hit.

There's no need to be abusive, young man.  Any more of that and you'll be on the naughty step. 

[Joey Eastwood]

why dont you do yourself a favour and clean more windows and talk less 5hit.

There's no need to be abusive, young man.  Any more of that and you'll be on the naughty step. 

fair enough. when i first joined this forum i used to like you, u actually helped me out i dont know if you remember or not, probably 3years ago, nowdays u seem to hate anyone who isnt in the 100%wfp willywaving crew, just saying.