Extension Ladder Safety


Extension ladders are another tool used by roofers, electricians, and many other industries to get up on top of a building or other high places.  An extension ladder when used safely is a great asset to have.

One thing that is important is to always inspect your ladder before you start to use it.  You want to make sure the side rails are in great condition and not cracked or split in any way.  Make sure all the steps are secure and not missing.  Make sure the rung locks are securely connected and that both are present and not one is missing.  And also, the external guides at the top of the base unit is securely fastened and not missing.  If any of the items I discussed is missing or damaged, it may be time to replace this ladder with a new one.  You will also want to make sure all the safety stickers are in place, never remove these stickers, unless you plan to replace them with new stickers. 

Make sure the ladder is on a firm level surface, you don’t want to start climbing a ladder and have it topple over because of not being level.  Regarding the proper way to setup your ladder you will want to use the 4:1 ration of every 4 feet high the ladder should be one foot away from the wall.  So if you were working at 24 feet you would want the ladder 6 feet from the wall.  You might want to make sure the base and the top is secured.  When working up on top of a roof, or working on top of some object, remember you will need to extend the ladder where there are three rungs show above the top of the object where you can safely come on and off the ladder.

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When using the ladder, you want to make sure you don’t try to overreach, or you will fall off the ladder.  You should want to always use 3-points of contact which seems hard to do if you are carrying something up the ladder with one of your hands.  If it is possible, to have a rope where you can tie off your tools and pull them up to you would be best.  I know some of the times you might be by yourself and unable to get things and you’ll need to carry something up as you’re climbing.  Make sure you always face the ladder as you climb up and down the ladder, this way you can be in contact with the ladder at all times.  Falls from ladder will hurt you and depending on how high you are, you could die.  It’s important to follow all the safety rules with regards to using extension ladders.  This way you can go home safely and without injury.

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