[jonnyald]

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??

[cozy]

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.

[wire1078]

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

[clean]

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 !

[GWCS]

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.

[SteveAllan]

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.

[ftp]

Just got back and passed an old boy climbing up his ladders to paint the fascias wearing ........................................................... flip flops!  :

[stfc]

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

[jonnyald]

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

[martinsadie]

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

[martinsadie]

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

[[GQC] Tim]

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.

[Egg]

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

[Niall McAllister]

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.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

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.

[Platinum NW]

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

[Neil Williams]

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

[paul04]

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     

PJ

[dazmond]

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 .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

[Mike #1]

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