Ladder

[helpsy]

Looking at getting possibly a 3 section ladder...what height would you go for and any accessories?

 

[helpsy]

Is it generally ok leaving your ladders on the roof of your vehicle overnight or is it a bad idea?

 

[Roger Welton]

Height depends on what sort of houses you tend to work on. I have a 12m (iirc)

Stand offs are useful

I only put them on roof when I need them as it kills fuel economy.

 

[helpsy]

How about leaving them on the van overnight?

 

[Roger Welton]

Occasionally but locked to roof rack

 

[Dickie]

Of course 'Working at height' H&S rules state nothing over 2M high without a scaffolding or harness.

 

[Mike Jackson]

No they don't.

 

[lame plumber]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/735/pdfs/uksi_20050735_en.pdf

have a look at schedule 6 to prove that Mike is right

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Of course 'Working at height' H&S rules state nothing over 2M high without a scaffolding or harness.

Read working at height regs 2005 amended by HSE.

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Anyway back to ladders not that we would ever digress.

 

[woodytheplumber]

I got mine ex sky go to about 10 m and a cat ladder and a fiberglass step ladder all for a great price never had to go any hire than 10m and its very rare I have to use all 3 extensions a lot of the tile I leave the third section on the van!

 

[tamz]

Of course 'Working at height' H&S rules state nothing over 2M high without a scaffolding or harness.

Aye right Richard, i wonder what type guys dropped all those copex's without owning a roof ladder! Changed days indeed:lol:

Back in the real world you are allowed short term working from a ladder unless you work for one of the big corps who ban even the likes of hop ups because they are terrified of claims are us.
A 3.5m triple extension will go to about 8.5/ 9m which is more than high enough for anyone. If you need to go higher get a pilots license. A decent one will cost around £150

Btw i've had a ladder on my van roof for over 30 years and no one has touched any of them but then again the locals know it would cost them dearly.

 

[Dickie]

Changed days indeed, some sites you can't go on anything higher than a hop-up.

 

[Dickie]

No they don't.

Well Mike, with the greatest respect. If you could stand up in any court of law after someone had fallen of a ladder above 2M & convince them you're right good luck to you. Working from ladders is now a complete minefield!!

Most companies will not permit employees to work from ladders now. Personally I think it's all H&S gone mad. I know one company that were sued for £12K by an employee that fell from a pair of 5steps!!

 

[kris]

Hey guys have any of you seen or own the mechanism frames that lower your ladder down to a manageable height down the side of the van?????

 

[Mike Jackson]

Well Mike, with the greatest respect. If you could stand up in any court of law after someone had fallen of a ladder above 2M & convince them you're right good luck to you. Working from ladders is now a complete minefield!!

Most companies will not permit employees to work from ladders now. Personally I think it's all H&S gone mad. I know one company that were sued for £12K by an employee that fell from a pair of 5steps!!

Define most companies. A fall from less than 2m can still be fatal. The general rule of thumb is no more than 2 storeys and for short duration working. Anything other than short duration requires a stable work platform which can still be a ladder with the appropriate safety equipment. The working at height regulations don't define a height, a height could be taken as a kerb.

In the case of the employee suing after falling from a pair of steps if he hadn't received the proper training or the steps were not fit for purpose then he could well win his case. When I worked for Carillion we had to inspect our access equipment every time we used it and it was subject to a 6 monthly safety inspection.

 

[Rickster123]

There's a block of flats which are having boilers fitted soon. Can the 2nd floor flues be made good from a ladder? Or can the fitters insist on scaffold? All paye not subbies.

 

[hammers4spanner]

That will be a scaffold these days more than likely ,
i knew someone who died off a step ladder fell bust his skull

cant be arsed with ladder jobs myself as soon as i see ladder its extra 200 quid

 

[Mike Jackson]

There's a block of flats which are having boilers fitted soon. Can the 2nd floor flues be made good from a ladder? Or can the fitters insist on scaffold? All paye not subbies.

I'd just fit the flue from inside unless it's a brick up when a stable platform will be needed.

 

[Rickster123]

I'd just fit the flue from inside unless it's a brick up when a stable platform will be needed.

Its not a brick up. Ferrolli coming out vaillants in. Same flue hole but need to get the holes cemented around the flues and rubber collars on. Can imagine a few of the chaps objecting to climbing the ladders that was all.

 

[tamz]

The working at heights regs are a total minefield for an employer and due to the claims culture and the amount of sheer numpties in the workplace these days it is easy to understand why the big companies don't allow any working at height at all.
A few years ago to comply (or try to) with the regulations i booked the guys and me on a working at heights/ladder access course. What a joke that was. 4 hours in a class room being told about the H&S working at heights regs, being shown how to step into a fall arrest body harness and fit it so your balls wouldn't be torn off in the event you fell, being shown how to usemore gear than Tenzing Norgay used on a day trip up Everest then an afternoon being shown how to put a ladder and cat ladder up, ladder tied to the wall ropes on the ladder tied to your harness, cat ladder bracketed to the ladder etc. 10 minutes into the practical side and i knew the guy doing the teaching had never worked on a roof in his life. It was so bad i had to take the roof ladder off him and show him how to put it up. I wouldn't have let him climb a stair. It was a joke and an expensive but necessary one at that.
The full purpose of it is/was to discharge your duties and basically pass the buck if anything were to happen well i've done my best to offer the correct training and equipment and if you fall and kill yourself, basically, tough. It is called discharging your duties.
As a small employer however i personally knew everyone's capabilities for working at heights and there was just some guys who were always going to be a liability to themselves so you just wouldn't ask them to do that type stuff. Big companies don't know their employees on a personal level so they place their trust in the training or put a total ban on any heights working and sub it out (pass the buck).

There's a block of flats which are having boilers fitted soon. Can the 2nd floor flues be made good from a ladder? Or can the fitters insist on scaffold? All paye not subbies.

As a responsible employer the council or whoever the employer is, firstly has to consider the risk and eliminate it rather than use ppe. The fitters could insist on a scaffold but they would also need access training as using scaffold presents a risk and you need the training before you can even step on it.
Fitting Worcesters or Vaillants or a few others who allow the flue to be sealed by the collar only eliminates it as the flues can be done from inside :wink:

 

[tamz]

Its not a brick up. Ferrolli coming out vaillants in. Same flue hole but need to get the holes cemented around the flues and rubber collars on. Can imagine a few of the chaps objecting to climbing the ladders that was all.

You had posted this while i was in mid flow (i had a tea and toast break) but Vaillants don't need cemented outside it can be fitted from inside so no need for ladders or scaffold.

 

[woodytheplumber]

the last 3story flue my gas fitter mate fitted for me he did from the inside and then used fire rated foam to make airtight seemed dodgy to me but he signed it off all above board and as I am not a gas man its not for me to question

 

[stevetheplumber]

last site i was on you had to use hop ups with gates on you wasnt allowed to move them with out a ticket scaf tags on every piece of equipment had to be signed every week by responsible person but upstairs in the houses you could use steps

 

[Dickie]

Minefield as tamz has said. I just wouldn't send any employee up a ladder over 2M high regardless of the work involved.

 

[Howsie]

Ouch!