[dazmond]

ive been a trad window cleaner for 16 years.

1st fall:id been cleaning about 2 years when the ladder slipped down the wall on imprinted concrete.i landed on my feet.result:sprained ankle/damaged ladders and custys window sill.

2nd fall:id been cleaning about 4 years when ladders slipped down the wall on shiny flagstones.i landed on my heels.result:hurt heels a bit and hurt back.

both times i knew the ladder climb looked a bit dodgy but i carried on anyway

i was back window cleaning within a few days both times.i was very lucky.

ive now had no falls for 12 years.i use ladderstopper/mitts and use a trad pole for dodgy windows etc.


i will be wfp in the next few months and will keep ladder work to an absolute minimum.


too many imprinted concrete/gravel/sloping driveways,decking,shiny flagstones etc not to switch to a safer method.

i personally cant wait to be up and running with new van/wfp etc for my own piece of mind and safety regardless of cleaning any quicker although i hope that will be the case over time.

best wishes to you all

dazmond

[tacky]

u wont regret it .once u get into it . happy easter

[tomy jackson]

yes iv bin of wonce every 2 1/2 years but not once since iv WFP ,and thats why i went with WFP

[dazmond]

thanks tacky.all the best to you as well!

[mlscontractcleaner]

My only serious fall was when I was working 3 stories on a residential home in Plymouth. My ladder snapped!!!!

I'd been saying to the wife for quite a while that I really should think about replacing it and I was right.

I landed on the steps in the basement, spraining my ankle and with just a few cuts and bruises I was very lucky.

The thing that upset me most???

The poxy soldiers standing guard at The Durnford Street Barracks, RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD didn't even blink out of time. I could have been dead but they didn't even ask if I was okay - miserable buggars

I invested in WFP after that

[martinsadie]

both times i knew the ladder climb looked a bit dodgy but i carried on anyway

like ive said could have been avoided

[martinsadie]

I'd been saying to the wife for quite a while that I really should think about replacing it and I was right.

another one could have been avoided

[mlscontractcleaner]

I know it could have been avoided but in time you won't have to worry about things like ladder falls because nobody will be allowed to use them. They WILL be banned, it's just a matter of time. This nanny state we live in would ban going out of the house if it could

[wfp master]

yes iv bin of wonce every 2 1/2 years but not once since iv WFP ,and thats why i went with WFP

what ?

[martinsadie]

yes iv bin of wonce every 2 1/2 years but not once since iv WFP ,and thats why i went with WFP

what ?

he fell off every 2and half years like clockwork ie 4 x in 10 years 

[AuRavelling79]

How about you Stan? Any falls?

[martinsadie]

How about you Stan? Any falls?

oh yes and both could have been avoided,and a few slides which have been stoppd when the spikes have caught a raised flag or groove, 3 years next month since last one,a lot more careful nowdays

[Tom White]

I fell in my first year.  A hot sweaty day, tired and in a hurry!

I had a few scrapes, and a couple of bruises; some nasty; but nothing serious.  I landed with my legs through the ladder, sort of standing up.

I think that unless you aren't human, the chances are you'll make a mistake with a ladder one day.

The laws of averages suggests that if you use ladders on a daily basis; say climb a ladder 50 times per day (which is a tame figure), four days a week (just say), that's 200 climbs a week.  So imagine you work a slack 40 weeks per year, that's 8000 ladder climbs per year. 

Imagine you work 10 years as a window cleaner, that's 80,000 ladder climbs, and my figures are based on really low estimates; it could be a lot lot more climbs than that.

The chances are that during one of those 80,000 climbs, something bad is going to happen.

[martinsadie]

same as driving your car Tosh the more milage the more chance of an accident which with the numptys on the road today wont be your fault

[Tom White]

same as driving your car Tosh the more milage the more chance of an accident which with the numptys on the road today wont be your fault

That's a rubbish analogy because we haven't got a safe PRACTICAL alternative to using the roads to travel, whereas we have a simple PRACTICAL and safe alternative to using ladders for the majority of routine window cleaning.

[Sir Squeaky]

10 years, 80,000 climbs according to Tosh...no falls. No probs.

Slipped off a 5ft pointer ladder once on a mossy decking, but got straight up and carried on, so that hardly counts.

[Tom White]

Squeaks, you're so lazy you adopted your children!  You won't have done 80,000 climbs, probably a quarter of that, so no wonder you never fell! 

[woody1]

 

[Sir Squeaky]

Squeaks, you're so lazy you adopted your children! 

LOL that is so funny. Thats the funniest thing youve said Tosh, ever.

 

There wasn't much competition though...

[martinsadie]

same as driving your car Tosh the more milage the more chance of an accident which with the numptys on the road today wont be your fault

That's a rubbish analogy because we haven't got a safe PRACTICAL alternative to using the roads to travel, whereas we have a simple PRACTICAL and safe alternative to using ladders for the majority of routine window cleaning.

dont you have trams and trains yet