[rosskesava]

We do a large commercial round along the coast and at one medium sized shop I was surprised to see blue police tape cordoning off the whole front of the shop and the pavement.

The shop is actually an insurance office which was shut when usually it is open. I was a bit concerned and my initial thought was a serious crime had taken place.

As we do a few places opposite I asked what had happened.

It turns out that a local decorator had been painting the outside windows of the flat over the shop, using a ladder, when a gust of wind blew him and his ladder sideways. He landed on the back of his head.

That's when I noticed paint all over the pavement and a lot of blood. I don't know how seriously injured the decorator was but apparently the ambulance men were there for about 30 minutes and the bloke ended up a mass of tubes and wires all connected to this that and the other and when the ambulance eventually drove off it went at a snails pace.

So if you use ladders, and this is not an 'anti ladder' posting because we use them, please remember the weather and the wind.

Today was one of those day with virtually no wind untill a large cloud went overhead preceeded by a fairly strong gust of wind for about 30 seconds. We had already decided that for the few odd jobs where we use ladders today, to not do them.

Still, it made me think. There is something very sobering and real about seeing the actual place where a serious accident took place. We've a couple of first floor jobs tomorrow and I'm going to be extra extra carefull.

I've added this bit later - it's ironic that last night I was posting about the maximum height at which ladders can be used. This decorator was at maybe 4 or 5m at most?

[Extremeclean]

Good point there.

A while ago I was on a flat roof and had left the ladder. It was a really still day then all of a sudden as if out of nowhere a very strong gust lasting maybe 30 seconds or so blew my ladders over straight to the floor.

Then I looked up and saw a big dark cloud almost overhead. What it is is the downdraught of air from the cloud. These can be very strong and violent. Blue skies with big dark clouds dotted around and hardly any wind should be watched very carefully.

I hope the chap is going to be OK.

[sunshine windows]

Thanks for you concern Ross.

Not very nice when you have to witness something like that happen. It certainly makes you stop and think, realise just how fragile human life can be and what fools we are sometimes for taking unnecessary risks.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to the poor chap.

Lance

[rosskesava]

I hope he is ok also.

I've e mailed the owner of the insurance shop/office so maybe I'll know how things go for the poor bloke.

I've been thinking about it all day and how so easily accidents happen. Just one careless thought or action or one risk to many or just a few seconds not thinking.

Cheers

[JohnL]

Trust he will be ok

JohnL

[rosskesava]

Today when we done the same shops etc, a week later, the person who own's the shop underneath where the accident happened handed me this which is from the injured mans sister. It was a whole A4 sheet and the below is a part of it:

The injured man was a 53 year old decorator who'd been decorating since he was 16.


'.................. He's in a very serious but stable condition and for a few days he was on a life support machine.....  had to have a part of his skull and brain removed due to the impact. He also has extremely serious neck injuries.

His chances of a full recovery are zero and he has motor function impediments and slurred speech and at the moment he doesn't know what happened to him.

........ has never had an accident with a ladder before....... '

There's also a lot which is too personnal to repeat here. He has a wife and grown up kids and was just a normal person. Now his life and his families lives are shattered.

If you use ladder please be really carefull. This has changed my whole veiw of them as this person was not even at any real height.

Cheers

[s.hughes]

I had a w/c mate who had cleaned windows for years with no accidents. He gets to a job and puts his ladder into position. As he climbs the ladder twists and he falls onto his elbow, he was only 3 steps up the ladder. He was on the operating table for 7 hours and couldnt work for 6 months after. His elbow is now full of metal. Strange thing is, is that although he's now extra careful he is against wfp.
Strange dont ya think.

Sad about the decorator. Just goes to show it could happen to us. So lets make sure it never does.

Cheers
Steve

[Pj]

Poor man!  Poor family!  All for an honest crust!

The gusts of wind are the worst.  A constant wind you can assess and get used to, I'm not sure what speed, maybe maximum 20mph?  But a gust of that same speed or, usually more like double that, even for a second or two, is like being rugby tackled up a ladder.  Real bad!  I have been hit so bad by a gust many times, I've had to grip the window to stay on, my applicator has been blown out of my hand, all in a flash of a moment!

My motto:  If you don't feel safe, your not safe, get off the ladder.

Poor man,  poor family.

Pj

[ccwc1988]

Brain removed