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Ladders and Scaffold Tower Articles
March 6, 2010
Ladders are used by many different people. Whilst they might come in handy at home for DIY jobs and in industry for work related activities, they also have a more important use. They are used on a regular basis by the Fire Service to help to save lives.
Rescue in Port Glasgow
One item in the news that caught our eye recently was a rescue in Port Glasgow. Three people had to be rescued by ladder from a four storey building by the Strathclyde Fire and rescue service after a four storey tenement building caught fire last Saturday evening. The smoke from the blaze stopped the people exiting via normal fire escape routes and when the fire service arrived a number of people were leaning from the windows of the four storey building shouting for help. Using the ladder the fire service rescued all the trapped people who were promptly taken to the local hospital where only one person had to be kept in overnight.
Maintain your ladder – you never know when you might need it
The fire brigade use ladders on a day-to-day basis as a part of their job. They know only too well how important it is to take care of your ladder properly and replace it when any defect is noticed.
March 4, 2010
Falling from height is one of the most common work related accidents in the UK. So sometimes you need more than just a standard ladder to work from height safely. Overreaching and trying to manoeuvre a ladder into a situation that is not only impossible but also extremely dangerous, can mean that you are not only putting yourself at risk, you may also be unwittingly putting others at risk too.
Ladder risk assessments
Before you do any work from height a risk assessment must always be undertaken to determine what the risks are. In informal situations, you may do the risk assessment yourself, but if you work in industry you will have to go through the formalities of filling in a risk assessment form if the job you are attempting to do, has not been done before. Performing a risk assessment will let you take a step back from the situation, so you have time to think what the best course of action will be.
Use a scaffold tower
In some situations where reaching a height using a ladder is impossible, it may be a more appropriate solution to use a scaffold tower. If you use a scaffold tower, you have the ability to cover a larger area when you work and will not have the restrictions that a ladder holds. The work will thus not only be carried out more quickly but also more safely too.
March 2, 2010
An ex window cleaner from the West Midlands town of Dudley, who fell from a ladder and sustained broken bones, has backed the Health and Safety Executive’s new Shattered Lives campaign.
Ken Bradley broke both his wrist and hip when carrying out his window cleaning round back in 2006. Mr Bradley slipped and fell from the ladder which he was using, which ultimately led to him having to give up on window cleaning for good.
Mr Bradley explained:
“I felt the ladder slip from under me and I grabbed a window to try and stop myself from falling. But I couldn’t reach. I don’t really remember much after that until I woke up in hospital.”
“It’s the confidence as much as anything. I’d have done anything once but once the confidence has gone, it makes you think twice.
“I can no longer walk as far as I used to be able to and I certainly can’t clamber up and down ladders.”
The Shattered Lives campaign has been launched with the aim of reducing the number of accidents in the workplace- through educating people with a range of useful safety tips. The campaign also highlights the devastating effects that these types of accidents can have, and has been welcomed by employers up and down the country.
February 27, 2010
If you need to work from height, and you need a level of access that offers more accessibility and a greater degree of safety, then a good option to use is a scaffold tower.
A scaffold tower gives the user extra stability and safety and being lightweight, most scaffold towers are easy to handle and hence easy to erect.
The Loyal Aluminium Industrial Scaffold Tower
This scaffold tower can be used to work at heights ranging from 4.2 metres to 14.2 metres. It has an extremely solid construction and so can be used for trade and industrial use. The tower has colour coded structure braces, which means that it can be erected easily and the outriggers have rubber bottomed feet for increased grip meaning increased stability.
The platform on the Loyal Scaffold Tower can be erected in heights of 0.5 metres so you can comfortably work at your required height and the sections have a non-slip profile meaning that the strength and safety of the platform is increased. The integral ladder sections that fit into the tower can be fitted easily and hence make climbing the tower safe and comfortable.
The Loyal Industrial scaffold tower is perfect for those jobs where a ladder is not a suitable option.
February 23, 2010
In the last article we stated the four most common causes of falls from ladders and concentrated on overreaching and the user slipping from the ladder. In this article we will discuss the last two common causes of falls, which are:
• The ladder slips, falls or wobbles
• The ladder breaks
A ladder that slips or falls from its position
Ladders that usually slip or wobble are unfortunately one of the main causes of accidents. The bullet points below will give some tips on how you as a user can reduce the risk.
• Always rest the ladder on a firm secure horizontal surface at the top of the ladder
• Tie off the ladder at the top and the bottom so it can’t slip
• Before using the ladder, always check the condition of the ladder’s feet
• Site the ladder on a level, firm surface where the ladder’s feet can grip correctly
A ladder that breaks
• Check the condition of the ladder before using it
• Don’t exceed the maximum weight limit of the ladder
• Only carry tools or materials up the ladder that weigh less than 10kg
• Always position the ladder at a 75° degree angle to the wall – use the 1 in 4 rule.
If you need any advice about which ladder to use for what job, or perhaps you need a scaffold tower to work from height safely, contact your ladder specialist who will be happy to help with your enquires.
February 19, 2010
The most common falls from ladders can be fit into four broad categories:
• Over reaching
• Slipping from the ladder
• The ladder slips or wobbles
• The ladder breaks
We will try to give some examples of the above instances and suggest solutions to these potential dangers below:
Over reaching
• If your body is not centred between the stiles of the ladder then you are overreaching.
• Keep your navel within the stiles at all times to keep your body in the correct position.
• Keep three points of contact with the ladder at all times. This means keeping both feet firmly positioned on a rung and one hand firmly gripping the ladder when carrying out work with the other hand.
Slipping and falling off the ladder
• Is the user trained to use the ladder? Ladder training is essential so that all users are aware of the potential dangers and know how to correctly use the ladder.
• Remember to keep the three points of contact rule in mind when using the ladder.
• The rungs of a ladder should always be kept clean and in a good working condition.
• Wear the right type of footwear when using a ladder – slippery feet can exacerbate problems.
• Is the user fit to be working from a ladder?
• Check the surface the ladder is positioned on is level, firm and the feet are in good condition.
We will discuss the ladder slipping or breaking in the next article.
February 17, 2010
In the last article we stated the first three things you should take into consideration when using a ladder. Here we will discuss a few aspects of using the ladder correctly and mention the three points of contact rule.
How to use a ladder
Firstly, it is important that you grip the ladder tightly when climbing. Then always keep three points of contact with the ladder, for example, when working from the ladder, make sure both feet are firmly positioned and one hand is holding the ladder while the other hand does the work.
When working on a ladder, the maximum time you should spend working should be between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the task. Remember to never overreach, a good tip is to be aware where your belt buckle is and never move this from between the stiles. Only carry light materials and tools up a ladder, the total weight of these should not exceed 10kg.
If you need to take both hands off the ladder to complete a task, such as holding a nail before using a hammer, you should make sure that you use additional methods to prevent a fall, such as a fall arrest system.
February 14, 2010
Working at height comes with inherent risks, however if you take the necessary steps when working at height you can minimise this risk, not just to yourself but to others too.
Three important considerations must always be made before using a ladder. We will discuss these below.
Can I work at height?
Before using a ladder, one of the most important things you need to think about is your own physical condition. Are you well enough to use the ladder? Do you have enough mobility to climb the ladder with ease and descend the ladder when necessary? Are you used to working at height? These are just a few questions you need to ask yourself, there are of course others, however, if in doubt don’t put yourself at risk.
Assess the condition of the ladder
Before using a ladder, you must always check it for defects. Check the rungs are undamaged and clean. Look at the stiles carefully and check the points where the rungs attach. Check the feet of the ladder are in good condition and have a good tread. If the ladder is an extension ladder, make sure all the fastenings and clips are secure.
Check the position of the ladder
It is really important that you use the right ladder for the job. Place the ladder in the position it will be used and then check that the surface is firm, the surface is level, there are no wet or slippery surfaces and the ladder will not move at the top or bottom. The ladder should be at an angle of 75° to the wall and should rest on a strong point at the top of the ladder.
We will discuss how to use the ladder safely in the next article.
February 11, 2010
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign, to try to cut down the number of accidents in the workplace that account for thousands of injuries to workers each year.
In 2009, 40 workers died in the UK due to work related accidents and in the construction and maintenance sectors alone there were 10 fatalities and an astonishing 1,769 serious injuries. The most common causes of injuries and fatalities in the UK are due to trips, slips or falls and most significantly the most number of workplace deaths are caused by falls from height.
The new campaign called “shattered lives” will give as much information to companies as possible to try to reduce these kinds of accidents. The new campaign will feature a dedicated website and help employers and employees locate the potential serious risks in their field and suggest recommended actions to be taken to reduce these risks.
It is always important to only use a ladder for its intended purpose. The ladder must be checked for defects regularly and changed if any fault is noticed. If you have any queries, contact a ladder specialist who will be able to help you with your enquiries.
February 9, 2010
A dad of three from Four Oaks, Birmingham, is thanking his lucky stars that he lived to see the birth of his third child, after a horrific accident which saw him impaled on a ladder.
Whilst carrying out a spot of DIY at home, Simon Matthews slipped and fell off his set of ladders- which resulted in two severe punctures to his chest.
The punctures were caused by the ladder’s supporting bracket- which pierced through his skin with alarming ease.
Ambulance crew, fire crew and an air ambulance attended the scene- where Simon had to be cut free from the ladder and airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital.
Simon, who spent just one night in hospital following the incident, is still thankful that his injuries weren’t worse and said:
“I know I was lucky. The metal went straight through the muscle, but it was inches away from being fatal.
“The fire crew were great, they had to cut me free of the ladder before I was taken to hospital.
“In a situation like that you just want to know what is happening and they were so reassuring and told me what I wanted to know, they were just brilliant.
“Near to where I was being treated in the hospital were British soldiers who had been injured in Afghanistan.
“To see those young soldiers was an extremely humbling experience.”
Following his harrowing experience, Simon has vowed to hold fundraising events through his business- with proceeds going to the Midlands Air Ambulance Service, who played such a vital role in saving his life.
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