Ladder Safety! - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

Joe Tedesco · 03-25-2007, 08:45 PM

Two ladders were used here while installing lighting above a window in a new store in Cambridge, MA

MDShunk · 03-25-2007, 08:50 PM

What's even funnier is that both ladders have the safety labels clearly visible in the photograph. Maybe they're not ladders? Maybe that's a pair of new style stilts?

frank · 03-26-2007, 09:49 AM

Photo taken in Cambridge? Obviously a Harvard educated sparkie!

Frank

MDShunk · 03-26-2007, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank

Photo taken in Cambridge? Obviously a Harvard educated sparkie!

I doubt very seriously that this is even an electrician. No electrician I've ever known uses aluminium ladders.

brian john · 03-26-2007, 09:58 PM

Marc I saw a residential electrical service contractor (a large contractor) going down the road with 2-extension ladders and 6 and 8 footer all ALUMINUM.

frank · 03-27-2007, 09:47 AM

These little beauties are made from Carbon Fibre. Can't get a shock using this type. It took ages for the industry to get the 'safety guys' to accept them.They couldn't equate strength with any thing other than metal or wood!

Note the little twirl og green sleaving on the ladder rung. We use this to oversleave the bare grounding condutor. Not sure if this is a USA practice or not. Whist watching 'This Old House' I have noticed it to be common to leave receptacle grounds unsheathed. Is this still the practice?

Frank

brian john · 03-27-2007, 10:48 AM

Yeah but it is hard to walk these new ladders across the floor compared to the old heavy wood ladders. THANK GOODNESS!

MDShunk · 03-27-2007, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank

Note the little twirl og green sleaving on the ladder rung. We use this to oversleave the bare grounding condutor. Not sure if this is a USA practice or not. Whist watching 'This Old House' I have noticed it to be common to leave receptacle grounds unsheathed. Is this still the practice?

Still common to have an uninsulated ground, Frank, and probably always will be. Certain cable styles (MC cable, for instance) have an insulated ground, but some guys still skin most of it out in the box anyhow.

JohnJ0906 · 03-28-2007, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian john

Yeah but it is hard to walk these new ladders across the floor compared to the old heavy wood ladders. THANK GOODNESS!

Amen! We use all fiberglass, and have for years. Actually, we have 1 aluminium ladder (

) 40' extention. I think it will be repaced soon though, and I hope they go fiberglass.

MDShunk · 03-28-2007, 07:02 AM

Frourty foot! Holy smokes. I have a 32' fiberglass one, and I don't have enough back side to erect it safely by myself. It's a heavy beast. Sometimes I do stand it up by myself, but I normally regret it. I can only imagine what a 40 footer would be like. I've seen sidewallers with 3 section extension ladders. Lord only knows what they weigh. They must be 50-60 footers. No thanks. If it's that high up, we're gonna figure out a way to get a bucket or a lift in there.

brian john · 03-28-2007, 08:04 AM

Marc: When I did residential service the company I worked for had a 40' wood ladder, the boss could lift it and carry it raised, so of course i had to rise to the challenge, I finally mastered it, the hardest part was lifting it. They also had a 30' "A" frame, it use to scare me to be on top of that thing as it wobbled (like most "A" frames).

JohnJ0906 · 03-28-2007, 04:42 PM

I use a 32' reguarly (it's what I carry on the truck) Heavy, but stable. That 40' has a wee bit more movement than I care for! But sometimes that's the only thing that will work.

brian john · 03-28-2007, 04:55 PM

3' "a" Frame

MDShunk · 03-28-2007, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnJ0906

I use a 32' reguarly (it's what I carry on the truck) .

Remind me not to tussle with any of you guys.

JohnJ0906 · 03-28-2007, 05:13 PM

LOL! Damn thing weighs as much as me probably!

brian john · 03-28-2007, 05:17 PM

If it ever fell on you, you'd be dead for sure.

MDShunk · 03-28-2007, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian john

If it ever fell on you, you'd be dead for sure.

Maybe so.

I have noticed that the different colors of ladders weigh different. I know that if you have a blue, orange, and yellow 6' stepladder all in the same area, the blue is really light, the orange is middle, and the yellow's are real heavy. I've seen some green and maroon ladders that seem like crap from Wal-Mart. Might depend some on the brand as far as what color is heavier than another. I think all of mine are Werner, with maybe a couple of old Louisville ladders here and there. The stepladders on my personal truck are wooden, made by local Amish ladder makers. Super nice, sturdy stepladders. My extension ladders are all Werner, so that I can have the automatic ladder levelers on ALL of them.

lanijo · 03-28-2007, 05:35 PM

Stableizers are good as well, for your ladders.

John · 03-29-2007, 07:10 AM

I only use fiberglass type 1AA ladders, which are rated for 375 Lbs because I am 6’ 5” and 230 lbs. By the time I get my tool pouch and parts pouch on I am close to a Type 1 ladder rating of 250 lbs. and the minimum type of ladder I should be using would be a type 1A which are rated for 300 lbs. The Type 1AA ladders cost a little more but are a lot sturdier than a Type 1A ladder. You get what you pay for and when it comes to safety it is cheap insurance to pay a little more for a better ladder.

I don’t think colors make a difference because I have a Werner type 1AA 24 ft extension ladder that is yellow and a 6 ft type 1AA stepladder that is blue.

Maybe I need to think about making a fashion statement by color coordinating my ladders.

Joe,
Do you have any “Good/ Bad” pictures or stories about scaffolding?

Joe Tedesco · 03-29-2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

I only use fiberglass type 1AA ladders, which are rated for 375 Lbs because I am 6’ 5” and 230 lbs. By the time I get my tool pouch and parts pouch on I am close to a Type 1 ladder rating of 250 lbs. and the minimum type of ladder I should be using would be a type 1A which are rated for 300 lbs. The Type 1AA ladders cost a little more but are a lot sturdier than a Type 1A ladder. You get what you pay for and when it comes to safety it is cheap insurance to pay a little more for a better ladder.

I don’t think colors make a difference because I have a Werner type 1AA 24 ft extension ladder that is yellow and a 6 ft type 1AA stepladder that is blue.

Maybe I need to think about making a fashion statement by color coordinating my ladders.

Joe,
Do you have any “Good/ Bad” pictures or stories about scaffolding?

Yes, see the following link:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/scaf...ded/index.html

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