hiluxman
Well-known member
Wish I knew....one of life's mysteries, it was literally someone switching a you 'can' to you 'can't'how peculiar
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6feetdown
Well-known member
Couldn't remember what I'd done earlier. Wasn't step ladder was 1 part of a triple leaning against a column at an angle 4 / 5 rung up ladder went managed to jump as it did. Knew whilst doing it it was stupid but laziness got in the way
Powerfab
Well-known member
I'm up and down ladders for surveying almost every other day. Usually like a rat up a drainpipe, but I've become a bit more circumspect since I nearly came a cropper last September.
This is the last picture taken just before the incident. I was tap testing for debonded render and after this pic moved the ladder to the left over the patio doors.
I was three rungs off the top and just starting on my way down. Happened to look down (which I don't usually do), just to see the left stile shear on a compression ring. All weight now transferred onto the right hand stile, it buckled like a bean tin and all of a sudden I was a passenger sliding down the wall on a now hinged ladder. Rode it down and landed hard on my right ankle, but managed to roll off it and get back upright.
The lady in the house got a right eyeful watching me drop out of the sky in front of her patio doors.
This was the state of the ladder in the immediate aftermath.
You can see the sheared left hand stile and the collapsed right hand
And this is the sorry state when I got it home.
Strangest place for a shear. It has this internal ring for the telescopic mechanism which is located by a ring rolled lip on the outer wall.
The aluminium has stress failed on this rolled ring. Ladder had just had its annual assessment the month before and clean bill of health. Absolutely no evidence of a problem before it occurred.
The right hand side just couldn't cope with 96kgs and just buckled.
7mths on, I'm still getting twinges in my lower back, it locks up when I rise in the morning, or get out of a chair, but I'm just grateful to have walked away with nothing worse.
This is the last picture taken just before the incident. I was tap testing for debonded render and after this pic moved the ladder to the left over the patio doors.
I was three rungs off the top and just starting on my way down. Happened to look down (which I don't usually do), just to see the left stile shear on a compression ring. All weight now transferred onto the right hand stile, it buckled like a bean tin and all of a sudden I was a passenger sliding down the wall on a now hinged ladder. Rode it down and landed hard on my right ankle, but managed to roll off it and get back upright.
The lady in the house got a right eyeful watching me drop out of the sky in front of her patio doors.
This was the state of the ladder in the immediate aftermath.
You can see the sheared left hand stile and the collapsed right hand
And this is the sorry state when I got it home.
Strangest place for a shear. It has this internal ring for the telescopic mechanism which is located by a ring rolled lip on the outer wall.
The aluminium has stress failed on this rolled ring. Ladder had just had its annual assessment the month before and clean bill of health. Absolutely no evidence of a problem before it occurred.
The right hand side just couldn't cope with 96kgs and just buckled.
7mths on, I'm still getting twinges in my lower back, it locks up when I rise in the morning, or get out of a chair, but I'm just grateful to have walked away with nothing worse.
V8Druid
do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
very lucky Boyo ... have been considering one of those telescopy efforts for our loft access,s, but having seen that I might just stick to what I use - small ex GPO triple extender .... zero room in the loft for conventional swing downs, but did discover these last week, so might try one ... not up there very often
8ft (2.44m) Concertina Aluminium Loft Ladder | DIY at B&Q
Our Concertina Loft Ladder provides the perfect access solution for those "awkward" applications where the loft opening or floor space is limited. In addition to this, its compact design means that the ladder is stored within the hatch perimeter, therefore maximizing storage space in the loft...
www.diy.com
Lancs Lad
Well-known member
Interesting...I'd never buy a cheap pair of telescopics again...mines have failed at least twice.
Mates just got a pair of the actual telesteps Swedish ...about 400 quid iirc. Feel way better built.
Lancs Lad
Well-known member
One hot summer was quiet in the garage so boss said can you paint sidewall... enthusiastic 17 yr old no sweat...
Massive pair of old extension ladders ..baking hot painting white on white
.Late in the day I was near the top and it was obviously not a perfect Pythagoras...bottom starting going out backwards...what a feeling just gracefully slid down trying to manfully grab pebbldash....much to the delight of the tyre monkeys sat sunning themselves
lucky just a few bruises and bad words...
Storrsy
Well-known member
I've been drumming up the gumption to change the guttering on our top windows for a few years now- now the weather's come good thought I might get on with but you lot have put me right off with all this ladder talk.
Lancs Lad
Well-known member
Hire a cherry picker
S
Stroppymonkey
Well-known member
I used to be on ladders all the time - dodgy towers - dodgy scaffolding - dodgy homemade scaffolding - dodgy roofs - all of it. Got a set of triple 17s we used to use often. Take an effort to erect though. These days I don’t like ladders AT ALL. We use telescopic ladders daily at work (loft hatches mainly) and after my apprentice (20 stone) snapped mine we have upgraded to much better ones with pop out stabiliser beams at the bottom. Still don’t trust them though. We have tool box talks just for telescopic ladders. You have to really keep them clean and look after them.
Storrsy
Well-known member
Have to go down steps to get to my place.Hire a cherry picker
Something I resent every year when I get a log delivery
JD450A
Feral as Fk 🐾
Fk sake you'd reach it from the roadHave to go down steps to get to my place.
B
bobthebuilder
Well-known member
When I started proper work (15) 41 years ago the builders I started for had aone piece 49 rung wooden ladder,about 2ft 6 wide at the bottom ,s**t myself first time up itheights nor ladders have ever bothered me ... top of a 16ft triple is exciting though ... as much as getting the damned thing up in fact ... as is the climb up
S
Stroppymonkey
Well-known member
Couple hours work from local Agri/haulage contractor (squeezed me on, only called them Friday afternoon). Hope I haven't left anything useful in the middle one. Will have to get the big nibbler out to start making some door holes and link 2 of them up. Will add a roof at some point to keep Moffett dry.
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Lancs Lad
Well-known member
Mint. Going to cover the middle in? Roller door on rear one ?
S
Stroppymonkey
Well-known member
I will roof over the lot drekkly. Will stop them sweating so much. I’ve got a nice 8m steel that a customer gave me that will span it nicely. This is a budget job so will keep an eye out for some deals on materials. Not sure on the back one. Will cut a 1200 door for now (gets rid of the rusty section) Might leave it open plan and build across front. I have a VERY heavy set of steel mesh doors and posts I got for £130 on eBay back in 2018 from Bristol area when I was literally driving past. Only 8.5ft opening so not as useful as I thought so might get to use them up on this job. Just wide enough for Moffett .
Still open to ideas. Might go mono pitch roof, but if I give it a ridge and raise it a bit I’d have enough room to use some pallet racking. My Moffett is not free lift sadly so needs a bit of head room. Would prefer a boom machine variant but a bit hens teeth for good ones.
D
DaveDCB
Well-known member
Push middle one back , nudge the two other ones in 12” and sit the back one ontop, set of stairs and her presto a viewing platform and extra space on the ground 
S
Stroppymonkey
Well-known member
I am trying to be discreetPush middle one back , nudge the two other ones in 12” and sit the back one ontop, set of stairs and her presto a viewing platform and extra space on the ground
William127
Well-known member
Well the morning has gone of to a flying start.. First time in 18 years I opened the wrong gate and let 3 pigs out while we were loading the cows! Luckily they went left into the log barn not right towards the road 
Few tense minutes and they were back where they belong
Few tense minutes and they were back where they belong
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6feetdown
Well-known member
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