[gaza]

In light of simonds accident why dont we post on here a list of does and donts. YOU KNOW THOSE NEARLY ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY SILLY MISTAKES YOU GOT AWAY WITH.if it only saves one newbies life [plus a proffessionals life] it would be worth sharing knowledge

 STARTING WITH: 1/. TREE BARK COVERING A PLASTIC SHEET.
THERES MANY MORE ODD ONES.
LIKE THOSE BLUE BRICKS USED IN BACK YARDS WHEN WET THERE DEADLY.
IVE STARTED SO LETS CONTINUE.

I could fill in loads but then you would call me a know it all,and theres one or two I would miss because having not come across them yet.

 GAZA

[www.mrgutters.co.uk]

ladders on wooden decking i slipped , ladder twisted .. fell about 8ft but was ok just bruised

shawn

[matt]

damp moss covered patio slabs are the worse in my opinion, they only need to be slightly damp and are like a ice rink

[www.mrgutters.co.uk]

yes i have had that just walking on them and have slipped 

[marc al]

 Flagstones around older buildings are very slippery when wet, even with a ladder stopper.

[UBA1]

Wet pitched roofs, covered with green algae. Solution, leave them!

Slippery patios. Solution, thick beach towel under rungs of ladder, OR a garden wall as a stopper.

We decking. Solution, beach towel again and make sure your ladder is fairly upright, and not at an angle.

Or to solve all the above...WFP!!

[gaza]

HERES ONE : Very strange one not very often come against.

Newly laid tuft ,put ladder on it because it haddent time to grow roots, it slid out of place only about 4 inches until it made a stop with the tuft behind it,relayed it and counted my blessings.

GAZA

[MWCS]

Those small red exterior floor tiles (the glazed ones) had a serious brown trouser moment  about 2 weeks ago with them.

[dai]

Pebbles put down over concrete are just like ball bearings.
The one that led to me coming off was a tilt and turn window that had been installed upside down. It was closed but the catch was off. I was over reaching to detail a corner, put my hand on the framw to keep my balance and the window opened out from the top. It pushed me out and away from my ladder. The stabliser on the ladder did it's job, the ladder never moved. I was lucky to land on my feet. I broke one of them and was off for 3 weeks. Dai

[Paul Coleman]

damp moss covered patio slabs are the worse in my opinion, they only need to be slightly damp and are like a ice rink

Moss covered patios, flagstones etc can be lethal.  What I have found is that a damp, heavy duty oven cloth under the ladder works just great - much better than ladder stoppers etc. I kid you not.  I would not joke about such a thing.  It's too important.  If in doubt though, I just use an extension pole.

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

cleaning open windows with wfp whilst the customer is looking out of it to watch you at work, the only do it once!
Jay

[rosskesava]

A few years ago I was doing a front room window and the owner had planted one of those big huge yukka type tropical plants that has the spikes on the end of the leaves right next to the wall and it was half across the glass.

I was mopping behind it stretched out as you do and somehow a spike from the end of its leaves went through the side of my nose. Boy oh boy was it painfull.

Had it been a little to one side and a bit higher it would have been my eye.

I had to go down the local A & E to get the spike removed. It was 7mm long and the point of it is still in the bone in the side of my nose. I can still feel it when I wear glasses.

I am now very very very wary of plants, bushes, etc of any desription right next to where I am working.

It's not quite in the same league as falling from a ladder but a potentialy serious injury none the less.

Also, a few days ago one of the others I work with while getting down from a 15ft high flat roof had the ladder slip from under neath him and he ended up hanging from the roof. That was because of wet decking and no one footing the ladder.

His injuries were minor thankfully.

Cheers

[denzle]

Dog muck.... apart from being smelly vile stuff to get off ladder rungs and hoses, it can cause serious health problems including blindness.
First sign of the stuff and the place gets left.

Dennzle

[gaza]

ROSS :PLANTS ARE DANGEROUS,TOMATO PLANTS ARE AT LEAST. last year bent down to wet my mop only when I stood up did I realize how close my eye had been to a bambo stick supporting it.

returning to the issue putting ladders on pvc sills is a deff no no.

 GAZA

[Paul Coleman]

ROSS :PLANTS ARE DANGEROUS,TOMATO PLANTS ARE AT LEAST. last year bent down to wet my mop only when I stood up did I realize how close my eye had been to a bambo stick supporting it.

returning to the issue putting ladders on pvc sills is a deff no no.

 GAZA

Ladder mitts work fine in those situations Gaza.

[gaza]

LADDER mits for wfp were do u get them from shiner?having a lauff

know what you mean they are very good saves having to explain scratches on painted walls as well

 gaza

[poleman]

wise they had ladder mitts 15 years ago

was cleaning windows in this road (allday) and time was never on my side to get this road done, so was working fast, got to one house and was asked to clean the frames, thought well dont have time but did not like to say no, put the ladder up on the UPVC front cladding and as I was cleaning the frames & windows I over reached the ladder went one way and I fell on my back on hard concret, was winded luck but could have been in a wheel chair.

One time went round the back of a house with the ladder over my shoulder and sliped on the wet floor, and twisted my ackle and was in a lot of pain, customer came out and said what are you doing on the floor,  : I siad I am in pain, she said so Iam not going to get my windows finiashed then.  : : : : but then it was the 80s?

Andy

[Paul Coleman]

LADDER mits for wfp were do u get them from shiner?having a lauff

know what you mean they are very good saves having to explain scratches on painted walls as well

 gaza

Well, to quote your previous post, you did write:

"returning to the issue putting ladders on pvc sills is a deff no no."

It seemed reasonable to assume you were referring to ladder work.   

[Ian_Giles]

Another one to do with plants that IS ladder related
Some years ago I did a large building in a local town (Monmouth) It has an ancient Virginia Creeper all over the one elevation.
One of the lads who was working for me at the time was 3rd floor window, this had to be done off a balcony with fibreglass floor (the old lead floor had been replaced with the fibreglass).
So the ladder is on the balcony, fully extended.
He hadn't realised that the Virginia Creeper was dropping its seeds, ergo; these were like ball bearings-Jon at top of ladder=Jon at bottom of ladder....very quickly His leg went through the rungs, one end of the ladder had smashed through one of the first floor windows, and all in front of a new thoroughly entertained (if slightly shocked) crowd of people who were sat at tables on the cobblestone yard below sipping cups of tea or munching on buttered scones

I've related the full story of this elswhere on the forum, so I won't go over it again.
The point is of course beware of seeds or any other type of vegetation lying on patio floors/paths/driveways/decking and so on. Even when dry they can still present a danger.

A good thread Gaza, also makes you realise how many of us have had close shaves doesn't it? Broken bones, twisted ankles, and only Ross could try to get his nose pierced on the cheap!
I would say that most of us who have put these examples of what can catch you out, have done so because of personal experience.
Thank god I am WFP now
Of course I could end out fusing my hands to the pole if I come in contact with a power line
Or trip over loose flagstones/uneven flagstones or any other obstacle I don't see as I am looking up at the 3rd floor winodws I am cleaning!

Regards,

Ian

[gaza]

ANOTHER ONE FROM ME:Standing on top of wheelie bins ,they tip up hence my window cleaner has a shattered hip nearly 18months of work,luckly he has lads working for him.

 GAZA