I’ve been on the fence with a couple of these sky-skraper ladder myself for a while now. Just submitted a bid that had the 17ft one included in the price.

My only thoughts with these are how heavy and awkward the might be. Some others have complained about this. We already have a 12ft that goes on staircases and what not, and it is not fun to haul around.

 

I rent one on the rare occasion I need one. They are really heavy. If your a big guy you can probably lift it but it's a two man operation to set that monster up.

 

OSHA requires three points of contact so once you get to the top you need to tie off or clip in. Not worth it if someone gets hurt.

 

If that 17' ladder falls over and gets damaged to where it can't be used again, you could be dead from suspension trauma before someone cuts you down.

 

I use to have a 20 ft wooden step ladder. I cut 3-1/2 ft off it to use on a job. Now I have a 16-1/2 ft wooden step ladder.

 

for me ....
if it needs more than a 10ft step ..... it needs scaffolding or a different guy

 

..... it needs scaffolding or a different guy

I like the little giant and you could probably pay for it very quickly, it's probably a must if you're going to do a lot of this work.

Consider this ... two story baker's scaffold is cheaper if you include shipping, probably will fit in more tight spots, far safer to work on, this ought to get you to a 19' ceiling. Much easier to transport through hallways, but takes more time to set up.

The little giant skyscraper is probably a huge time saver compared to the scaffold for some jobs, especially stairways. But, the scaffold is useful for many other things.

Both are going to take up some storage space but the scaffold will probably be easier to put away in your shop.

 

Marketing sells that work,,, owning a ladder helps do it.

 

I do not own a metal ladder. My last purchase of a ladder was this.

The locals and the inspectors have issues with working from ladders. This one I do not have to be harnessed. Now they are moving towards scaffolding again. Got that covered.

 

If that 17' ladder falls over and gets damaged to where it can't be used again, you could be dead from suspension trauma before someone cuts you down.

Get one of these. I have one on my harness.

 

Is it difficult to use? Does it take special shoes? Do the leg straps get in the way?

It looks like a good idea.

 

That Self Rescue device is perfect when you’re alone.
Sadly we only talk about them at work, they claimed a cell phone is good enough.

 

Is it difficult to use? Does it take special shoes? Do the leg straps get in the way?

It looks like a good idea.

No, no, and no. You just put one reel on each hip strap, and hope you never use it. If needed, you unzip each reel, hook the ends together, and then stand up on the strap.
Our safety program at work @Wirenuting is get what you think you need, don’t ask for it.

 

f that 17' ladder falls over and gets damaged to where it can't be used again, you could be dead from suspension trauma before someone cuts you down.

Why did you have to dredge up that memory? I'll be tense the rest of the evening.

That was something I had to worry about when I was a lot younger because I was on a Stadium build were we had to do a lot of various forms of high work. What enabled me to relax and get more effective was taking my Rescue practices training for my State and National Certification as a Firefighter. I learned how to do the high work with no risk of falls and very little risk of suspension trauma. I brought my fire department climbing harness to work. They are made to be worn inside protective clothing and since it was during a really cold period locally and I had Carhartt insulated bib overalls and layered cold weather clothing on I thought that was perfect for not getting a lot of snide comments from the rest of the crew. I had a 30 foot extension grab and anchor pole in my kit. I kept my fall exposure within the limits of the fall shock absorber and always had an anchor point above me. I'd snap the repel rope deployment bag to my harness when doing high work. OK. I got the grief from the other guys anyway but teased and alive beat the alternative hands down. I'd been on that job over a month when one of the pipe fitters took a fall. He was waring a tether line and a positioning belt and he was dangling at least 100 feet off of the floor. Everyone was screaming and one of his team mates was trying to climb the steel to reach him. His foreman asked him what good he thought he could do for him if he did reach a point within reach of him and talked him out of continuing to climb. One of the guys who had been harassing me about the repelling bag came and got me from the elevator penthouse where I was having a very difficult discussion with the elevator constructors over who was responsible for installing the heat detectors which controlled the shunt trip in each elevators equipment OCPD. I was grateful to get out of that discussion but when I actually saw that guy dangling my guts turned to water. I grabbed my repelling bag and got an elevator ride on the construction elevator on the side of the building. I ran out on to the lighting walkway and stopped right above him. The City Fire Captain was trying to tell me that they had already called the high incident extraction team. I had to keep going because I knew that if I stopped to think about it I was going to freeze up and not be able to continue. Because I was so tense I said one of those obnoxious things firefighters say when their really scared and trying not to show it. "It's OK Cap. The County High Angle Rescue Team is already here." I had just that previous weekend requalified on Man On Man pick off technique and was trying to pretend I was just doing another round of that. I repelled down to the pipe fitter, put a quick harness on him, took his weight onto my rope and cut his rope away. I then repelled the rest of the way down. The city guys grabbed him and headed for a major trauma center hospital that was only 10 blocks away. The guy was back on the job the next week. It was a good thing that it happened before lunch or I think I would have pooped myself big time.

You wanna know what most firefighters are afraid of? It's not getting crippled or killed. Were always afraid of failure. It scared every guy I knew more than anything else. I just grabbed up my personal tools and equipment and walked to the subway stop half a block away and went home. I was much to shaken up to keep working. When I showed up the next morning I told my foreman that if the guys tried to make me talk about it I'd have to drag up, go to the hall, and sign the book to wait for a new job. He went to the bull steward and the word was put out. I didn't get asked about it but I still got a lot of strange looks when I clipped on the repelling bag. That was OK with me because I had started thinking of it as a talisman to keep the devil at bay. A week later I was splinting up a painter who had fallen off of a baker scaffold that was only set ~4 feet off the floor. It was their first week on the job so they did not know about the other incident. The paint foreman was trying to thank me while the city firefighters rolled him to the ambulance, with a scrap of wire lath wrapped to his arm. I looked at him and said "Tell him next time to choose a higher place. I know how to do those without puking now." One of our guys told me that foreman was looking at me like he had just met a Martian as I was walking away.

Tom Horne

" Tackling a burning building is dangerous on the face of it. The risks are plain even to the meanest intelligence. So when a man seeks to become a fireman his act of bravery has already been performed. Everything that comes after that is all in their line of work. Firefighters do not consider themselves heroes for doing what their business requires."

Edward F Croker, Chief Engineer Commanding, Fire Department of the City of New York. Circa 1910​

That doesn't mean they aren't grateful their was nothing in their bowels on certain kinds of incidents.

No we aren't no saintly heroes. And yet we aren't no blackguards to. We're just working men and women most remarkable like you. TH