Ladder Safety: It's More Important Than You Think

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Ladder Safety: Don't Get Caught Off Balance

by Stefan Mach | March 23, 2022 | Frederick Towns

Ladders can be dangerous, but they don't have to be:

Ladder safety is all about setup. Over the years, I have seen some nasty ladder accidents, including a broken neck and a fractured compound femur while installing skylights. Like most accidents, those involving ladders often occur because of distraction or because some basic safety element was not adhered to. Knowing what a good ladder setup and safety look like are the keys to minimizing the chance of a dangerous fall.

According to https://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/beginners-guide-how-to-safely-use-an-extension-ladder/, the United States leads the world in ladder-related deaths, most of which are from under 10 feet. This tells you that shortfalls are serious and that many do not perceive them to be so. What kid hasn't jumped out of a tree or over a picket fence? Five to ten feet seems like nothing, but the statistics say different. 

So let's assume that you are planning to climb a ladder, but you don't want to die. Chris Kilbourne over at https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/301-788-3061-critical-rules-for-safe-ladder-setup/ gives a good description of the 4-to-1 rule:

"Place the base of the ladder 1 foot from the wall for every 4 feet between the base and the support point. For example, if it is 8 feet from the base of a ladder to its support point, the base of the ladder should be 2 feet away from the building."

The purpose of the 4-to-1 rule is to achieve a proper pitch to the ladder so that it is neither too steep, which can lead to falling off the ladder backward, or too shallow, which can lead to the ladder kicking out at the bottom. Another way of assessing you have achieved a proper angle on a ladder is to stand with the toes of your boots just touching the feet of the ladder, and with a straight back and shoulders, extend your arm straight out in front of you. Your hand should reach but not extend through the ladder.

Chris also points out that the upper portion of an extension ladder should be forward. On any good modern ladder, you can tell that you have it correctly oriented by stepping on a rung. Your foot should comfortably sit on the entire flat surface of the rung. If the ladder is backward, your foot will dig into the edge of the rung. This is because a ladder that is set up properly will result in the surface of the rung being close to horizontal due to the pitch placed on the rungs of a ladder relative to its vertical axis. If this sounds confusing, set the ladder up backward according to the 4-to-1 rule and stand on the bottom rung. You will feel the problem on your feet. Just don't climb the ladder any higher while set up that way.

Electrical wires and aluminum ladders in combination are your enemies. Before I pull my ladder off the truck, I always look up and assess the path I will be taking from the truck to my intended setup point. If there is no path without electrical lines, I carry the ladder horizontally to the setup location and then stand it up; a bit tricky by yourself, but doable with practice. I also do not attempt to guess at the distance my ladder will be below an electric line if carried vertically, and if anyone could, it would be me after all these years of doing ladder-involved roofing work. I still don't do it. The cost is too great for making a mistake. Going home at the end of the day is a good thing.

Joseph Truini over at https://www.thisoldhouse.com/tools/301-788-3061/how-to-set-up-a-ladder has some good tips about stable ladder setup. "To be safe, a ladder needs to remain stationary. Period. And setting it up right is at least half the battle." A ladder should be level left to right. If you have to break out the claw hammer and dig in the dirt, the homeowner will forgive you when you don't fall off their house. One way that I like to test the relative side to side stability of a ladder before I climb it is to step both feet onto the bottom rung and try to forcibly rock the ladder left to right and right to left by raising one foot and putting all my weight on the other one. If the ladder is not stable or will potentially become unstable by sinking in the ground, I determine that from one foot above the ground.

Joseph also points out that the feet should remain down so that the rubber pads are on the ground when solid and dry and turned back when set on dirt and other soft material. This one can, in my opinion, be a little tricky on occasion. An asphalt driveway with a slight downhill drift can create uncertainty about the best position for the feet. When in doubt, it is best to consider another placement. In rare circumstances, I will take the time to place my truck just so that I can use the bumper to block the ladder from sliding backward. I am not telling you to do that, but I have found that a parked truck with the emergency brake pull is impossible to move with my weight on a ladder. 

There is more to ladder safety, like always tying off the top, ladder height above the gutter, etc., and I would recommend depending on more than this one short article to get yourself fully versed before you climb a ladder if you intend to do so; or you could apply my chainsaw rule to ladders. "When you go to get the chainsaw, don't."

Final Say

When ladder safety is properly understood and with the right techniques, you can ensure that your ladder usage will remain safe. You won't have to worry or even get nervous climbing the ladder with this type of preparation. However, for serious jobs, please leave it only to the professionals. I hope you enjoy reading the article and remember to share it with your friends and family.

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