How To Do Just About Everything
By Left-hander
A few simple precautions will go a long way to prevent ladder falls and accidents.
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It’s essential for many jobs, but the ordinary ladder has great accident potential. No home accessory looks so harmless. To ensure that you will always come down a ladder the same way you went up-in one piece and one step at a time:
It also helps to check for an inspection label.
1. Before using a ladder-especially a borrowed or rarely used one-inspect it carefully. Check rungs or steps for cracks or splitting. Test rungs on a long ladder by lying it flat and bouncing your full weight lightly on each rung. Then stand it in working condition to see if it’s solid. Also inspect pivots, locks, and the side rails (which should be free of knots or other defects).
Always try to purchase a name brand.
2. Don’t climb anything but a top-quality ladder if you can help it.
For any project you need to do, there's a ladder for it.
3. If you’re buying a new ladder, don’t let price alone determine your selection. A top-quality one will last several years; it’ll be worth the extra money spent
These multi-purpose ladders come in several materials and have great versatility.
4. To preserve a new wood ladder, coat it with a clear penetrating wood sealer or spar varnish before you expose it to the weather (Never use paint-cracks may be hidden so they’ll be difficult to spot later on). Lubricate all hardware at least once a year, and spray exposed metal with a clear plastic or lacquer to prevent rusting. Metal ladders need no special maintenance (but you should oil the pivots), but they should be permanently equipped with rubber-faced safety “feet” to prevent slipping on hard surfaces. These ladders are lighter and easier to handle than wood, but be very careful when using them near power lines.
Try to avoid resting the ladder's top end against a window or screen.
5. Before climbing to any height on a ladder, mount a step or two and bounce lightly up and down to see if there’s any sign of shifting or sliding. When positioning an extension ladder against the side of a house, avoid resting the top end against a window pane or screen. If you have no choice and must do this, nail a wide board across the opening first, and rest the ladder against this. If it’s not practical to nail the board in place from inside the window, nail or clamp it across the upper end of your ladder, instead, before you raise it. To keep the top of an extension ladder from messing up a freshly painted surface, wrap the ends in heavy rags, or slip a pair of old wools socks or work gloves over them.
A ladder safety belt (or workman's clip) will keep you firmly in place.
6. When climbing, descending or working from any ladder, always face toward it, never away from it. While climbing, use and hold on with both hands; put tools in your pocket or use a workman’s clip belt. If there are several or many items, climb the ladder first, then haul the load up with light rope, or have a pail hooked onto a rung. While working, if at all possible, hold on with at least one hand. If that’s not possible, hook one leg through a rung.
This is an just one example of various types of ladder jacks avaialble.
7. For certain jobs, a long working platform is more convenient than working from a single ladder. The easiest way to rig up a simple scaffold is to rent (or you can buy) a couple of ladder jacks. At a relatively low height, you mount these jacks on the inside of the ladders, as well (There are different types of jacks; the safest one is the kind that hooks onto the ladder rails rather than the rungs.)
A ladder safety guide
8. If a ladder must be placed in front of a door, either lock the door shut or tie it open so that no one comes through and runs into the ladder while you’re on it. If you’re working indoors-particularly on a polished tile or hardwood floor-fasten a piece of rubber heel or a split section of hose to each leg to prevent slipping or marking up the floor.
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