Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jonnyald on August 03, 2009, 03:09:33 pm
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
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In my first or second year, I set a ladder at a 45 degree angle on a lawn! Really clever, I was working at about 2 meters up and after a few seconds of getting up to the window, it slipped away. All I can tell you is, you don't get time to do anything at low level work, as the ladder hit the ground, I was still on it. I bent the rung I was stood on with the impact. No broken bones, just bad bruising on the soles of my feet. Couldn't walk at all for 2 days, and it was 2 weeks before I could work again.
Since then, I am alot more carefull and always look at how my ladders stand, if I'm not sure, I get mrs Cozy to foot it. I never use a ladder without a stabilizer and as far as I'm concerned, don't take any risks. I was abit gung ho when I first started, but you live and learn.
Once you have had an accident with ladders, you tend to learn or start picking your menu from a hospital porter at best.
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I was using a wooden ladder about 12 years ago when i positioned it on a green slippery floor on the back of a terraced house.I got to the top window and started to clean it,everything was fine until,i stepped up another rung for the fan light when the ladder slipped and down i went.fortunately i landed inbetween the rungs of the wooden ladder and i fell on I disagree,i just got up and thought what just happened,it took me a couple of weeks to get my confidence back but touch wood no more hairy moments since.Bad ladder postioning was the problem
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
you should NOT be using ladders they ARE illegal !
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
you should NOT be using ladders they ARE illegal !
its not but using ladders is just like speeding everyone does it, and its entirely fine and accepted an ok practise until you get caught.
but seeing as this is no way in response to the actual questions i'll stop there.
Never had an accident or near miss on one (yet), i treat them with 100% respect and dont do anything unless ifeel 100% confident of using them. Using them in a daft way or a way that is conceived as not within H&S acceptable use, then i dont use them.
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
you should NOT be using ladders they ARE illegal !
Not that old chestnut. Most ladder accidents are incorrect usage as highlighted above, ladders set at the correct angle will not slip, wet decks etc etc then use ladder limpets or similar.
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Just got back and passed an old boy climbing up his ladders to paint the fascias wearing ........................................................... flip flops! ::)
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
you should NOT be using ladders they ARE illegal !
sorry but they are not illegal as you state.only over a certain height
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i guess youre right/ if a ladder slips out at the bottom theres no chance of jumping off it . a few times iv had a ladder almost slip sideways such as when getting onto it from off a flat roof,or when a sudden gust of wind blows up perhaps /its at those times a split second decision would have to be made
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In my first or second year, I set a ladder at a 45 degree angle on a lawn! Really clever, I was working at about 2 meters up and after a few seconds of getting up to the window, it slipped away. All I can tell you is, you don't get time to do anything at low level work, as the ladder hit the ground, I was still on it. I bent the rung I was stood on with the impact. No broken bones, just bad bruising on the soles of my feet. Couldn't walk at all for 2 days, and it was 2 weeks before I could work again.
Since then, I am alot more carefull and always look at how my ladders stand, if I'm not sure, I get mrs Cozy to foot it. I never use a ladder without a stabilizer and as far as I'm concerned, don't take any risks. I was abit gung ho when I first started, but you live and learn.
Once you have had an accident with ladders, you tend to learn or start picking your menu from a hospital porter at best.
we get away with that around here with having spikes on the ladder it digs in to the lawn and holds
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
you should NOT be using ladders they ARE illegal !
get back in your padded cell
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Most will tell you that you will have zero time to even think, oh I need to do this. The only way I got out of a hairy situation is because the ladder mitts gripped at the last possible moment. I tip toed of the ladder after that.
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Had a ladder slip on me once. I was rushing, positioned it on wet flagstones and it slipped out on me when I was at the top totally my own stupid fault.
It was a very surreal experience and seemed to happen in slow motion so I knew what was happening. I landed very badly broke my wrist in 2 places and the thumb on my other hand, cut my chin open and still have a nice scar to prove it and 3 months of work.
Taught me a valuable lesson that it's not worth taking any risk just to clean a window, and now if i have to work of ladders always do a risk assesment.
It's strange that it didn't scare me of using ladders at all, but I could never do that particular house again as it would just bring it all back to me.
I really do cringe though, as I'm sure most of us do on here, when I see people working of badly positioned ladders
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i read somewhere that if a ladder slips out from under you ,you shouldnt jump , you should "ride it down " , whats your experiences of ladders??
my experience of ladders was, after setting the ladder properly, a double skull fracture and a broken collar bone.
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What bugged me when I used to use ladders were the customers that would get bolshie with me for refusing to clean a window for safety reasons.
There's always one somewhere where the only way to reach it is too risky.
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When i was 16 i went up a sloping roof cleaned the window came back down , then i realised i left some water on the window so thinking that the lad footing understood this i went back up. Got to the top reach for the glass then about half an inch off the glass i went flying. i hit the ground still on the ladder but what made it worse was i had cleaned the moss off the roof where my knee and my arse had been. I cut my hands , palms, knee and elbow. The lad thought id finished and gone round the back of the house. He came running back round thinking id dropped the ladder on a car and asked me what i was doing sat on the drive.
I had to show my macho side so i got straight back on the ladders and carried on still bleeding but it f***ing hurt
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I've had 3 'minor' ladder accidents some years ago.
1. Slippery patio where the ladder with me on it slid raidly down the wall (my fault slippery surface)
2. Wrong angle probably 30 degrees to get onto a slopping roof over front door area. Ladder slipped when I got near the roof. Rolled of roof onto floor. (my fault wrong angle)
3. Ladder not set right with full contact on slopping garden. Came off porch roof onto ladder and then ladder twisted 180 degrees. Foot went through rung leaving me hanging upside down with foot stuck in rung (my fault ladder not seated on ground correctly)
Not one of the above gives you a chance to do anything about it. It slips, you know it is happening, but no time to do anything about it.
Now 100% wfp because of the above.
As for Pole king >:( ladders are NOT banned
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I started cleaning windows for a guy when i was 15 and he use to set the ladders up for me. one time they slipped from about 15 feet and i had time to jump clear of the ladder (only sprained my ankle) he told me i should have stayed with the ladder. one day he's cleaning a 4 pane window and being the tight git that he is, tries to do it in one. he over stretches,
the ladder slips and he gets a couple of broken ribs
THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS USE WFP'S ;D
PJ
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ive fell of twice once about 15 yrs ago and then again 10 yrs ago.landed on my feet both times.first time just sprained ankle but bent ladders as they hit bottom window sill.second time landed on heels.hurt back with shock up my spine.went straight for x ray.fine.i was back working the next day.i was v. lucky and im 17 stone.im a lot more careful now.i use rojak ladderstopper and mitts.if its wet and mossy,gravel,wet decking,uneven etc i use unger extension pole with vise versa or swivel squeegy then fixi clamp with dry microfibre cloth for the detailing.i dont clean windows over 1st floor without using the pole.im saving up for new van and WFP to cut my ladder work down further.had a few moments of ladder slipping an inch or so years ago as well.that gets the old ticker going :o.I find not many windows i cant do now with this 30foot trad pole.in winter i find i use the pole more and find it a lot safer.peace of mind but with no freezing hosesNOT YET ANYWAY.best wishes to u all
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you have all been very lucky 7yrs ago ladder slipped out on green paving 2 metres up resulted in broken wrist broken back in 3 places and a 70% crushed vertabrae came very close to spending the rest of my life in a wheel chair , Thank heavens for wfp
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What bugged me when I used to use ladders were the customers that would get bolshie with me for refusing to clean a window for safety reasons.
There's always one somewhere where the only way to reach it is too risky.
I had that, he said 'Well! Youre a window cleaner arent you?' I said 'Yea, Im a safe one as well'
Sounds like your custie had been talking to one of mine. That was almost verbatim for what one of mine said.
I actually had another one say that he didn't care about my safety, just wanted his windows cleaned. made my blood boil.
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I fell off 17 yrs ago. and broke my rist.....however a window cleaner inmy town fell off a couple of yeas ago... and broke his ancle... it never healed and now he is having his leg amputated :o
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many years ago I had two two section ladders, needing to get a high window I lashed the two together with my climbing rope. I got up to the window, about 30 feet up, while I was up yhere I promised myself a new ladder. Next day I picked up a brand new trade box alloy tripple. I used it for years, though mostly only two sections.
I have a pole now. :)
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There's a 'trad' guy (well - bucket, ladder and cloth anyway) in Canterbury who works one of the main roads into the City.
Many of the houses have a flat topped porch. He puts his ladder in the middle of the busy pavement and leans it on the porch. He then climbs to the top of the ladder (which is in mid air!) to do the tops which is around 6ft above the point of contact on the porch. It's bloody frightening watching him.
So many accident possibilities waiting to happen. I would have a word with him but he doesn't look the kind of guy who would listen. Might even reply with his fist!
When I first saw him, I though he wouldn't keep it up as he looked a bit of a cowboy type but 3 months later and he's still at it. I wouldn't want to try and take on the work as nowhere to park in the area and pavement far too busy. Plenty of easier and safer work elsewhere anyway.
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Many years ago I was doing a pub and the ladder wasn't very safe so I had the boss (wife) footing it for me, then all of a sudden my ladder started to slide down the wall and the boss jumped out of the way ::) the ladder continued to slide down the wall and I didn't have time to react until it came to a sudden stop on the oak door lintel above the door the ladder stopped and my legs went through the ladder and squashed the corgies conkers and I was stuck 6' up in the air in agony :'( and all the boss could do was roll around the floor laughing ::)
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ive had two moments both times this is gona hurt went thru my head but
if your fat you bounce well ;D
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In 2005 i was doing a window above a shop door when my ladder with non slip feet sliped backwards and i ended up surffing it down and though the shop door way luckly the was no damage but i had to have a couple of days off as my next job was 4th floor on ladders unfooted.
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I have a combination ladder I used to use for conservatory roofs. Had it in step ladder mode one day - got to the top when the ladder opened out and collapsed with me on top. Forgot to engage the locking clips. ::)
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I have a combination ladder I used to use for conservatory roofs. Had it in step ladder mode one day - got to the top when the ladder opened out and collapsed with me on top. Forgot to engage the locking clips. ::)
Like this: :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZhMfzc9RbU
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afternoon all :)about ten years ago iwas cleaning the top of a three storey town house i leand out to clean the left hand side of the window,the ladder rolled with me hanging on uder neeth, the ladder bounced down the wall about 6ft which seemed more like 20ft then i came down the ladder under neeth swinging like a monkey till i was on the ground,i tell you what i have never s..t my self as when that happend,carried on doing three storeys up untill 5 yrs ago
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wfp is safe as long as you remmember when you walk up steps to a house
thats on a hill remmember theres steps there to come down.
i forgot one time missed the step and went a o t ;D
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There was this one time I took a young apprentice with me he was 16 and I was 25 at the time, he would not go up the ladder as he was frighted of heights. So I tried to by reassuring him showing him how it was done and not to be silly, I was working on a 3 storey building at the time , I got to about 17ft high and crack the ladder broke and as the ladder tumbled down and let me tell you it felt like it was in slow motion! I hit into the bottom window but the leather jacket I had on at the time saved the impact, but my leg some how was trapped in the aluminium ladder and let me tell you it was painfull so up the hospital was the end of this :( and the ladders was only 1 week old. But after that I could never ever get the apprentice to go up ladders. {I wonder why ?} ;) barry
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dont know where people get this slow motion from,i thought it was bloody quick and once spoke to a builder who fell of a roof and broke his back and he said it was fast